The Profile of a Graduate: St. Romain Heads to Dartmouth Softball Team, Fond Memories in Hand

Chatham High School softball player Alex St. Romain has worked hard throughout high school to become one of the school's top athletes. Her family, though, deserves plenty of credit for pushing her to the next level.

"I grew up in a family where I was expected to work hard in school and I did so; however, I still did not think that I could go to an Ivy League school," the star catcher said recently. "When I started getting recruited for softball and I found out that going into the Ivy League was an option, there was no doubt—in my mind, that is—where I wanted to play softball and attend school."

St. Romain, who graduated last month, chose Dartmouth University and will be the second-ever Chatham athlete to play there.            

Her success, however, doesn't come as a surprise to her former coach, Alexis Davies, who has spent the last four years coaching St. Romain but watched her play well before that.

"I remember the first travel game I saw her play in, she hit a home run. I didn't know she would work as hard as she had or become the player she has become, but I knew she had a lot of raw skills," said Davies.

St. Romain's performance that day was a preview of her future as a softball player. But she hasn't gotten by on talent alone—she maintains a rigorous offseason conditioning program to keep her in shape for the softball season.

"I prepare a lot for softball outside of the games," said St. Romain. "I work out at the Annex (Sports Performance Center) during my off season at least three times a week and hit almost every day. I also spend at least one day a week at catching practice."

She says her father, Larry, has inspired her work ethic.

"[My dad's] work ethic as a coach and in life in general taught me how hard I needed to work in softball to gain the results that I wanted," she said. "Even though my dad is no longer my coach, he is the most supportive person in terms of softball and always is there for me, not only in my best hitting streaks, but in my worst slumps."

Slump, however, is not a word which came around very often during St. Romain's high school career. She has rewritten the Chatham softball record books.

St. Romain finished her career leading every significant offensive statistic in Chatham. Her career totals included 119 hits, a .390 batting average, 12 home runs, 96 runs scored and 63 runs batted in. She also had 82 stolen bases in 84 attempts.

She was first team all-conference, first-team all county and first-team all area her sophomore, junior and senior years.

"She is a once in lifetime player that I am privileged to have coached and will have a lasting impact on our softball program," said Davies.

St. Romain is now ready to continue her softball career on a higher stage.

"My high school softball career had its ups and downs, but I will always have a positive memory of the people that I met and the valuable lessons that I learned," she said.