By BYRON BEERS
Mandi Ingram has been a vital part of the Tahlequah High School girls’ wrestling team, and the junior has continued to make strides on the mat.
“My strength is that I work well from top and am really fast at throwing a chicken wing in,” said Ingram, who got into wrestling three years ago and currently wrestles at 130 pounds. “I’ve improved most on just being able to flow and move faster while in practice and on the mat.
“This season is going great. I’ve made a lot of individual success compared to last season.”
Ingram won consecutive tournament championships in December, taking first place at both the Coweta Tournament and at the Jay Border Wars.
At Coweta, she defeated Claremore’s Katlyn Molster in the title match in a fall at 47 seconds. Ingram outdueled Audree Beavers (Heritage, Ark.) in the Jay Border Wars finals of the 130D bracket with a fall in 30 seconds.
Ingram, who has also placed first in the Bixby Open in December, likes the direction the team is headed.
“From a team standpoint, I see many of us placing at regionals,” she said. “Our team has developed and has had a lot of improvement overall this season.”
Away from wrestling, Ingram enjoys her time spent outdoors.
“In my free time, I enjoy swimming and kayaking anytime I can,” she said.
Her favorite part of being a student-athlete is being in the wrestling room at the Tahlequah Multipurpose Activity Center.
“What I love the most about being a student-athlete is the competitiveness and the spirit,” said Ingram. “We’re always trying to bring each other up and encouraging everyone in the room to push at being better.”
While training, Ingram enjoys the shark bait drill the most.
“My favorite drill to do in training would be shark bait because I like the intensity of it,” she said.
