WS Chronicle

Kristi Ingram won the state championship in golf for Mt. Tabor back in 2010, becoming the first African American female to do so in Forsyth County. For her stellar athletic career for the Spartans, Ingram was elected into the Mt. Tabor Hall of Fame in a ceremony that was held on Oct. 7.

Ingram was notified last year by Mt. Tabor principal Ed Weiss that she had been nominated and subsequently elected into the Mt. Tabor HOF. The ceremony was originally going to take place this spring, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, it had to be rescheduled to this fall.

It was a shock for Ingram to be elected as she had no idea that she was even nominated for induction. Upon hearing the news, she says it was an honor to be among so many great individuals that had been previously inducted.

“It was certainly a surprise and I’m definitely honored and felt very privileged to be nominated,” said Ingram. “It was definitely such a wonderful feeling to get that call and be able to share the news with everyone.”

All of her friends and family were excited for Ingram to be inducted. She says she rarely brings up her golf accomplishments, so it was good for her to reminisce about her career.  

“It brought up a ton of memories, just even being on the golf course and being part of the golf team there and the basketball team as well, and some of those accomplishments and the wins I was able to get during my time there,” she said. “It was also the atmosphere of being a part of the community at Tabor and being part of the community of Winston-Salem as a whole.

“When I went there it was such a great feeling to be a part of the school for pep rallies and homecoming. It has been so long, but it’s so fresh in my memory. It was definitely some of the best memories I’ve made in my life at Mt. Tabor, being close to my friends and those experiences I had there.”

Mt. Tabor has had a rich history in various sports and that is not lost on Ingram. She feels it’s an honor to be among the all-time greats that have come through the school in years past.

“It’s amazing to be acknowledged in being at the hall of fame amongst so many other great individuals for our achievements and accomplishments,” Ingram said about being inducted. “Mt. Tabor does have great sports programs, so we certainly have so many great, talented individuals that were inducted and it feels amazing to be one of those.”

As a Black woman who accomplished so much in a sport that is predominately white gives Ingram a greater sense of accomplishment. “I am glad that I was blessed with the talent to be able to have the gift of my golf skill set,” she said. “Being that it is a predominantly white sport, I was usually one of the only ones out there, which gave me a greater sense of purpose to go out there and perform and to make the sport more known across our community.

“I hope that future generations are able to get their children involved in the sport of golf, because there are so many great opportunities, but a lot of times we aren’t exposed to it, so being able to expose others to the sport is always a great feeling.”

Ingram says she does have good memories of playing for the Spartans, especially when golf comes on TV. She fondly remembers being on the course and battling to be one of the best in the state.

For the ceremony, many of Ingram’s family and friends attended the event. She was even able to connect with old classmates and teachers she hasn’t seen in years.

“It was great to be there and I actually got to see some of my teachers that I had during my time at Tabor, which was a surprise and just walking the halls, because it’s been so long since I had been on the campus,” she said about the day of the induction ceremony. “Just being able to be there and meet the other inductees and hear their stories and the impact they made at Mt. Tabor was amazing.

“There were a few individuals I had the chance to speak to in-depth and it is so great to see others being acknowledged for their achievements and hearing the impact they had on so many during their time at Tabor. Overall, it was an amazing event; we got to share memories and we were able to see our plaques added to one of the hallways at Mt. Tabor and we will forever be there, so the students and staff can walk the halls to see who was inducted.”

Representation is important to Ingram. She hopes her accomplishments inspire other women of color to pursue their dreams in golf.

“Having someone that looks like you, being able to compete and excel within that, encourages others to know that they can have a seat at the table and get involved in those things as well,” she said. “I think it certainly adds some weight in being able to represent for the other African American girls out there that are interested in golf and want to explore that possibility, to let them know you can go out there and be just as great; to get a scholarship and excel is an amazing feeling.”

Throughout her time playing at Mt. Tabor Ingram never thought that she would end up in the HOF. The HOF was recently created as she was finishing up her prep career and her focus was to win the state championship, so her entire focus was placed on that goal.

“At the time I didn’t think about the hall of fame, I was thinking about winning and competing in each event. But it’s certainly great to be acknowledged and be inducted into the hall of fame for all the things that I accomplished.”