On a cold and windy day at Penn State this past fall, the Mount golf team competed at the PIAA Golf State Championship. After their District performance they received an at-large bid to play at the State Championships.
The girls were on the 8th hole on the course, it was a par 3 and was an uphill hole. It was senior captain Michaela Ianieri’s turn to hit, she grabbed her 7 iron and approached the tee. The last words she remembered from that day were “It’s in the hole!”.
Hole-in-one’s are rare in the sport of golf, but on Oct. 22, 2025, a senior Mountie Michaela Ianieri achieved a goal that is commonly seen as any golfer’s dream accomplishment. With this milestone, she completed her final season with Mount Golf, and now looks forward to continuing her career at Gettysburg College.
When she is not playing golf you can find Michaela working at Jules Thin Crust Pizza, writing for The Campanile, or participating in the Pop Music and Culture club here at the Mount.
“She’s such an energetic person, and always brings light into the room she walks in,” Abby McCabe ‘26 said.
Michaela began to play golf in 6th grade, at around 13 years old. She had played a variety of sports before, and eventually she wanted to give golf a swing.
Even though she had no direct relation to the sport, she jumped right into it and began to take lessons. Through the years she became more experienced, and wanted to continue playing through college.
“Michaela is very determined and works really hard in her athletics, academics, and social lives,” Madison Press ‘26 said.
Her recruiting process began in the spring of 2025, she began to reach out to college coaches, sending out a resume about herself. The Gettysburg coach was the first to respond back to her, expressing his interest in Michaela as a golfer.
The following October, she verbally committed to Gettysburg for golf, and officially signed in November.
“I am looking forward to having a good environment and family-oriented team.” Michaela Ianieri ‘26 said.
However, throughout her golf career she also ran into a lot of challenges and adversity. Since she began her golf career a little bit later than most, she had to really put in the effort in her lessons to get better, and get to the spot that she is in now.
“She is one of the quiet, resilient leaders by example that we love, she shows the right way to do things by what she does so that the younger athletes can follow suit by example.” Mrs. Becky Murphy, Athletic Director said.
Michaela is an excellent example and role model for aspiring athletes at the Mount, leading in full swing with passion, leadership, and spirit!
Her advice to other student-athletes at the Mount reflects that mindset:
“Definitely keep up the hard work if this is something you’re really interested in, and there is no reason to quit if you face adversity and challenges. Keep working towards your goals, and never give up.” Michaela Ianieri ‘26 said.
