“”Are we bringing the pink Leo(tard)s?”” junior Beamer Bergeson asked Arizona gymnastics head coach Bill Ryden during a workout at the Mary Roby Gymnastics Training Center on Wednesday.

“”Yeah,”” he said.

Each year, nearly every Division-I women’s gymnastics program hosts a “”Pink Out,”” a meet designed to raise awareness for both cervical cancer and breast cancer – the leading cancers among women, to which one of eight women are susceptible, according to breastcancer.org.

“”It’s great to

know we’re out there competing (for a good cause),”” said senior All-American Karin Wurm. “”I know I’ve had family members and close friends who have had to deal with breast cancer and I know some of the girls on the team have had to as well. So its great to have this meet and to raise awareness about something that really affects a lot of women.””

This weekend the Gymcats will be trading in the “”gorgeous Arizona leotards,”” as one gymnast called them, for pink ones. It will be the first time since Feb. 2, 2007, the team will wear pink.

“”It doesn’t really affect our performance,”” Wurm said. “”But its good to be competing for this cause.””

All extraneous factors aside, when the No. 14 Gymcats tangle with No. 11 Oregon State tomorrow in Corvallis, Ore., it will be like looking in the mirror, then going to war with your reflection.

“”They have … the same team as us, their abilities and team demeanors are the same,”” Bergeson said. “”It’s like competing against ourselves.””

Wurm agreed and said the two teams are “”very evenly matched in both talent and how we perform and even how are they are set up as a team.

“”They got the opportunity to compete as a team at nationals last year,”” she added. “”We know that were just as good, if not better then them. The motivation is definitely there.””

Ryden believes his lineup will be the strongest that he will have assembled to date.

“”If Karin goes back in the all-around – and Alexis (Greene) is already doing well – and so having Danielle (Hicks) back on floor is big because she’s a senior and an experienced competitor,”” he said. “”Every week we get a little bit stronger and I think we can do well up there.””

Two years ago, when the Gymcats finally exorcised their Gill Coliseum demons by defeating OSU in Corvallis for the first time in over 10 years, Bergeson recalled it as “”the greatest feeling ever.””

This year, the Gymcats are hoping to accomplish the same feat, except this time, they will add a little pink to their step.

“”We’ve always gone back and forth between winning and I really want to go up there and win, maybe more than ASU,”” she said, pausing for a moment. “”Maybe not more, but its close … Really, really close. We have a great rivalry with them.””