Captains

Position: Defense
Height: 5-8
High School:  Stephanie graduated in 2008 from Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minn.  She participated in volleyball for one year and lacrosse all four years at Eden Prairie High School.  

College:  Stephanie has started as a defender for the past three years at St. Ben's.  The CSB lacrosse team went to the National Tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2010 and placed 7^th in the country for WCLA II (Division 2 - Club) lacrosse.  The team qualified again in 2011 but unfortunately had to turn down the bid due to financial reasons.  Battista has been co-captain of the lacrosse team since her Junior year. 

Personal: Daughter of Stephen and Mary Battista.  Enjoys snowboarding, cooking, traveling, volunteering, watersports, piano, French horn, ultimate frisbee and spending time with her friends and family.  In addition to the CSB lacrosse team she has participated in the Big Brother Big Sisters program, Extending the Link, CSB-SJU orchestra, brass choir, various intramurals and is a tour guide for St. Bens. Battista has spent a summer abroad in Valladolid, Spain as well as a full semester abroad in Viña del Mar, Chile.  She will graduate in the spring of 2012 with a Hispanic Studies (Spanish) major and Secondary Education (K-12) minor.  She plans to spend her first years after graduation teaching English in a Spanish-speaking country. 

Why I chose CSB/SJU:

I was originally interested in CSB-SJU because my older brother went here.  He is one year older than me and loved SJU.  I finally chose CSB-SJU because of the warm and friendly atmosphere that is contagious at this school.  It's honestly the friendliest campus I have ever been on. 

Michele Hromatka
Junior
Hometown: Chanhassen, Minn.
High School: Chaska

Position: Attack
Height: 5-8 
High School: Hromatka graduated from Chaska High School in 2009. She started to play lacrosse her freshman year, playing with varsity near the end of her first season and starting on varsity for the next three years. As a junior she was voted All-Conference Honorable Mention, as a senior she was a team captain and All-Conference.  Hromatka also participated in soccer and Nordic skiing throughout her high school years. 

College: During her freshman year, Hromatka started every game for CSB Lax including the games that took place during the team's invitation to the National Tournament as a top 8 ranked team out of a total 160 teams nationwide.  As a sophomore, she was a team captain and once again helped the team receive a bid to the National Tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is a two-time Academic All-American. 

Personal: Michelle is the daughter of Greg and Cindy Hromatka and the third in her family to attend CSB/SJU.  In her free time, Hromatka is a teaching assistant for the Computer Science Department, takes piano lessons through the music department and enjoys reading and watching Twins baseball.   In 2011 she was named a Thomson Reuters Scholar. She is majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics and Hispanic Studies. 

What do you like most about being a student at CSB/SJU?

I like how easy it is to be a well-rounded individual. There are so many opportunities to do what you love, whether it be in athletics at any level, academic clubs, music groups, or any combination of the three.  The travel opportunities are also wonderful. Through CSB/SJU, I have taken part in three international travel trips, one to Spain, another to Costa Rica and most recently, a semester in a cottage on the West coast of Ireland.  There is nothing like combing the beaches of Costa Rica at 2:00 a.m. for nesting leatherback sea turtles or taking a walk through Derry to find the murals that adorn almost every surface as a remembrance of the sectarian conflict that only recently ended.  

Abigail Palmer 
Junior
Hometown: Afton, Minn.
High school: Stillwater Area High School

Position: low defense 

High School: Graduated in 2009 from Stillwater Area High School. I played lacrosse for four years. I was also a girls' basketball manager for two years. 

College: I am in my third season playing lacrosse at St. Ben's. In my sophomore season along with playing low defense, I was the back-up goalie. 

Personal: I am the daughter of John Palmer and Lynn Hagen. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I recently returned from a semester abroad studying in Ireland. I am pre-med with a biology major and a sports medicine minor. My dream job would be an athletic trainer for a professional sports team. 

Why I chose CSB/SJU:

I chose CSB/SJU because I like that we can experience two campuses on a daily basis.  There is a strong sense of community and pride among the students and all of the alumnae/i that I have met.  While I visited many campuses, I felt very comfortable at CSB and I believe that the variety of clubs and activities at both campuses gives everyone an opportunity to get involved and enjoy college life while getting a great education.