On the historic athletic fields of Haverford College in the late-1980s and early-1990s, Emilie Heck Petrone became one of the best and most decorated athletes in Haverford history.
Heck Petrone was a two-time lacrosse All-American ('90, '91), a Regional All-American in field hockey ('90), a five-time Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) All-Star, and a two-time PAIAW lacrosse All-Star ('90, '91).
Her senior season capped a stellar collegiate career in both sports. Along with the national accolades, Heck Petrone captained Fords' field hockey and lacrosse teams that captured Seven Sisters Tournament titles and on both occasions she was named the tournament MVP. In the fall, the Haverford field hockey team finished with a 12-3-3 mark setting a still-unmatched program record for most wins in a season. Heck Petrone's field hockey career culminated with a third MAC All-Star honor and her selection as the team MVP. In a four-year career Heck Petrone started 71 of 72 games and her 13 career assists ranks third on the program's all-time list.
Springtime brought about Heck Petrone's final lacrosse season and she and her teammates made it a memorable one as Haverford finished the regular season with a 12-4 record and No. 8 Division III national ranking. The Fords and Heck Petrone earned a bid to the 1991 NCAA national tournament where their season ended in the quarterfinals. The team's 12 wins tied for the most single season victories in program history and is yet to be matched.
With 268 ground balls to her credit, Heck Petrone ranks second all-time at Haverford and her average of 4.54 ground balls per game tops the program rankings. A four-year starter in lacrosse, Heck Petrone was in the starting line-up 59 times missing only a 10-game stretch during her sophomore season with an injury.
Voted the team's most improved player following the '88 lacrosse season, Heck Petrone burst onto the national scene after her senior year when she was selected for the United States women's lacrosse team roster, a feat duplicated in '92. Playing on even footing with the nation's elite lacrosse players, Heck Petrone was chosen for the South roster in the national North-South Senior All-Star game where she was in a starting line-up that included teammates from D-I powers Penn State and Maryland.
This multitude of career accomplishments and honors resulted in the Bethlehem, Pa., native being awarded the 1991 Stephen G. Cary '37 Award from the athletic department, given for the most "outstanding dedication and achievement in women's athletics."
Heck Petrone lives in Princeton, N.J., with husband Michael Petrone '89 and their two sons Ben and Drew. She is now a senior partner with the global executive search firm Korn/Ferry International where she leads the company's global relationship with Johnson & Johnson.