At the halfway point of the 2026 NCAA gymnastics season, No. 5 Florida is gearing up for one of its most meaningful meets of the year - and not just because the defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners are coming to town.
This Friday at 6:45 p.m., the Gators will host their 20th annual “Link to Pink” meet, an event that transcends competition. It’s a night dedicated to honoring breast cancer survivors and remembering those who’ve lost their battle. For the athletes, coaches, and fans, it’s more than gymnastics - it’s about showing up with purpose.
“Truly, it’s an honor,” head coach Jenny Rowland said. “It’s a privilege that our sport can use such a grand platform to show support and share awareness with a lot of people that come in person and watch it on TV as well, so really grateful and humbled to be a part of that.”
Each year, survivors line the floor during the national anthem and team introductions - a powerful visual that sets the tone for the evening. And for the Gators, that emotional weight isn’t something they shy away from. It’s something they carry with pride.
“It most definitely is emotional for several of our athletes,” Rowland said. “And I think they all have done a really good job of staying grounded, keeping it at the forefront of their mind.”
For junior Alyssa Arana, this meet carries deeply personal meaning. She’ll take the floor in honor of her aunt - a breast cancer survivor whose resilience and positivity left a lasting impression.
“I’m doing this for her with the biggest smile on my face,” Arana said.
Arana’s journey with Florida gymnastics has been anything but linear - and that’s what makes her story so compelling. After starting the season as the anchor, she recently stepped into the leadoff spot on beam, a role that demands poise and consistency. It’s a shift that could rattle some gymnasts, but Arana embraced it with confidence.
She hasn’t cracked the 9.9 mark yet this season, with scores of 9.875 and 9.85 on beam, but her value to the team goes far beyond the numbers. Her growth, both as a gymnast and a leader, has been one of the most remarkable arcs on this Florida roster.
Rewind to her freshman debut - a meet that didn’t go as planned. Arana fell three times on bars, finishing with an 8.45.
The performance shook her confidence and kept her out of the lineup for the rest of the season. But what followed was a complete transformation.
Two months later, she made her beam debut and posted a career-best 9.925. By her sophomore year, she was competing on both bars and beam, and her work earned her All-American honors on bars.
“It was a true 180 transformation,” Rowland said. “She worked on the mental aspect.
She worked on her physical aspect. She worked on everything that she knew she needed to do to grow and to earn a spot back in.”
Now, Arana is stepping into a leadership role - not just through her routines, but through her voice. She’s become a mentor to younger teammates, setting the tone in training and competition. And after Florida posted its lowest team bars score since 2010 last week against Missouri (48.475), there’s a chance Arana could be called upon to return to that event.
Her confidence, she says, is the strongest it’s ever been - even with a powerhouse like Oklahoma on deck.
“I believe I could safely say that Alyssa has been one of the most impactful athletes on our team ever,” Rowland said. “Coming in as a freshman and her journey in gymnastics has not been the norm.”
On Friday night, under the pink lights and in front of a crowd filled with survivors and supporters, Arana and the Gators won’t just be competing - they’ll be honoring something bigger. And for a team that’s found strength in resilience, this meet is exactly where they shine.