No small success

Talking with senior Abigail Adams, it's easy to forget she's one of the nation's elite gymnasts.

A cheery 5-foot-3 blonde from Houston, Adams seems too nice to be the most decorated gymnast in Terps history. After all, truly exceptional athletes tend to carry themselves with an air of superiority — the understandable byproduct of spending a lifetime at the top of their chosen fields.

But listen to Adams' Texas twang for more than a few seconds and it's apparent that no such ego exists. Rather, a distinct maturity emerges in its place, one gained through overcoming more than 15 years of grueling eight-hour practices, aching joints and nagging injuries.

"A lot of girls my age grow disinterested and burned out by the lifestyle of [competitive] gymnastics," Adams said. "I just feel blessed that I still love what I do."

That love affair started in 1995, when a then-5-year-old Adams saw her older sister, Lea, in tumbling class. Wanting to emulate her sister, she begged her mother to enroll her immediately.

One month later, she joined the club's gymnastics team. Within six months, she was competing in meets throughout Texas.

By the time she entered the third grade, Adams spent five hours a day in the gym. The workload only increased from there.

In high school, Adams found herself sacrificing what others might consider the "normal" teenage experience to compete at the nation's highest level: international elite, or what is commonly referred to as "Olympic level."

"While most of my friends were going out on Friday nights, I was staying in because I had to get up at 7 a.m. to compete," Adams said. "You would think that would've been tough for me, but it really wasn't. That had been my lifestyle for so long at that point, that I guess I was used to it."

But as a sophomore at Klein High School, Adams' Olympic dreams took a major hit. While dismounting from a bar routine, her legs locked. Both femurs fractured.

"At that point," Adams said, "I knew the Olympics weren't going to be my route."

After contemplating retirement from the sport she adopted as a tot, Adams turned her attention toward the college ranks.

Despite spending her entire junior season rehabbing from injury, Adams entered her final year of high school a prized recruit, garnering the attention of such top-10 programs as Florida and Nebraska.

The prestige of more established programs proved insignificant, however, when Adams stepped onto this university's campus.

"As soon as I came for my official visit, I knew I belonged here," she said. "Right away, I could sense the family atmosphere the coaching staff has established here."

And for a girl accustomed to a close-knit Christian household, the program's emphasis on relationships proved its greatest gift.

When asked to name her favorite memories as a Terp thus far, the two-time team MVP failed to touch upon her individual successes. Instead, she mentioned team sleepovers and bus trips.

"Honestly, I don't deserve credit for who I am," Adams said. "[My teammates] do."

Buoyed by the support of her teammates, Adams has overcome two more broken legs, two shoulder surgeries and a coaching change to become what second-year coach Brett Nelligan calls "the most accomplished gymnast this program has ever seen."

In a career that already has six All-EAGL honors to her name, the 21-year-old is having her best season to date. She leads the squad in three of the four judged events and ranks third in the conference in the all-around — achievements made more impressive by the fact that gymnasts' bodies peak at age 16.

"It's amazing what she's been able to do at her age," sophomore Kesley Cofsky said. "She has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She'll do anything for her team."

This summer, Cofsky will join the rest of her Terp teammates in celebrating the next chapter of Adams' life: marriage. In August, she'll tie the knot with longtime boyfriend and Terrapin men's lacrosse defender Max Schmidt.

It's the kind of committment that makes sense for the selfless star who already considers her team family.

letourneau@umdbk.com