Taryn Adamski tried to keep her spirits up all summer.

It wasn't easy.

Adamski was trying to come back from a torn ACL in her right knee, which she injured during last season's WPIAL semifinals against Blackhawk.

Entering her senior season at Mars, she had to be wondering how the injury would affect her college choices.

As it turned out, Division I St. Francis (Pa.) never wavered and Adamski, a 6-foot forward, verbally committed to the program after her official visit earlier this month.

"Yeah, I was pretty concerned," said Adamski "I hadn't had a lot of recruiting in my junior year.

"Everyone kept their heads up and tried to stay positive all summer," she added.

Mars coach Dana Petruska said she knew everything would work out for Adamski.

"She was in contact with St. Francis and Sacred Heart prior to the knee injury, and with the types of surgeries today and how quick kids come back, the colleges felt comfortable," Petruska said.

Adamski was allowed to resume practicing and working out on Sept. 10 and has been participating in a fall league.

Adamski's decision came down to St. Francis or Division I Sacred Heart (Conn.) as well as a handful of Division II selections. In the end, she chose the Red Flash program.

"St. Francis has won eight of the last nine (Northeast) conference titles. They're very competitive and play at a high level," Adamski said.

"I knew St. Francis was the right choice and found that out on my official visit (she took an unofficial visit in August)," she added.

Now, with the burden of recruiters and the pressure that comes with it out of the way, Adamski said she is excited about the upcoming season.

Last season, the Planets went 23-5 and reached the WPIAL Class AAA championship, where they lost to North Catholic 68-40, then fell to Johnstown 60-41 in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.

Adamski missed both contests due to the injury.

"I know we can be just as strong as last year," said Adamski. "We'll be missing some players, but we all have a good, stable background together and the sophomores are playing really well."

Last season, Adamski averaged 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and was a third-team Butler County selection. As a sophomore, she contributed 7.4 points a game.

"Last year she had some really big games for us, not just offensively, but defensively," said Petruska. "She's well-rounded, not just a big scorer. She hasn't been a big, big scorer.

"Against Hampton last year, she was a major intimidator. That's her biggest strength.

"Her first three years here, she hasn't had to do much. Her opportunities have been few and far between, but I'd be curious to see what she can do," Petruska added.

Adamski hopes to improve her power toward the basket and helping to keep the Planets as a viable Class AAA threat.

"I have to have a stronger mindset and have confidence," said Adamski. "One of the reasons we've been so successful last year was we played as a team, not just one player was winning it for us last year."

"I'm happy for her," said Petruska. "She's really shown an interest to play at the next level and sees this as an opportunity to get an education."