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Freshman Kyla Shuman Shatters 400-Meter Record
South Effingham Girls Rewrite the Record Book at Mustang Madness
South Effingham track
South Effingham freshman Kyla Shuman celebrates after breaking the school record in the 400 meters with a time of 57.29 at Mustang Madness on Saturday in Guyton. Her run shattered the previous mark of 1:00.35 and helped lead a day in which the Mustangs set four girls school records. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)

GUYTON, Ga. – South Effingham freshman Kyla Shuman made short work of the school record in her long-awaited debut in the 400-meter run at Mustang Madness on Saturday afternoon.

Shuman dusted the field with a time of 57.29 seconds to dismantle Syraiah Wilkins’ record of 1:00.35 by more than three seconds.

“Coming in as a freshman, it feels really great,” Shuman said. “Running the 400 just takes practice. You have to get out fast. That gives you momentum for the straightaway. Then you have to finish.”

South Effingham track
Freshman Kyla Shuman powers down the track in the 400 meters at Mustang Madness on Saturday in Guyton, breaking the South Effingham school record with a time of 57.29. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)

Relay record highlights boys performance

Shuman’s run punctuated a big weekend for the Mustangs.

On Friday night at the Rowdy Rebels Invitational, the boys 4x200 relay team – Marcus Campbell, Jayden Hair, Hayden Still and Jeremiah Chance – set a school record with a time of 1:30.98.

“I think we really can do better,” Hair said. “Our handoffs were a little off. We’re still learning each other’s top speed.”

Hair also reached a personal milestone the next afternoon, running 10.97 in the 100-meter dash.

South Effingham track
South Effingham junior Syraiah Wilkins wins the 200 meters in 25.32 at Mustang Madness on Saturday in Guyton, breaking her own school record from last season. Wilkins also set a new mark in the 100-meter hurdles, helping the Mustangs girls score four school records at the meet. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)

Girls rewrite the record book

The girls also took center stage in Guyton, setting four school records.

Shuman’s 400-meter record was expected after she ran 57.01 last summer for her club team, Coastal Georgia.

“She didn’t have anyone pushing her, but she did a good job getting out and running well,” South Effingham coach Rico Campbell said. “She gets locked in really easy.”

Shuman also teamed with Giselle Lattany, Marquavia Williams and Wilkins on the girls’ record-breaking 4x100 relay team. The foursome ran 48.74 to top the previous mark of 49.29.

South Effingham high school track
South Effingham’s Becca Long powers to the win in the 3,200 meters at Mustang Madness in Guyton, leading a strong distance effort for the Mustangs. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)

Wilkins adds two more records

Wilkins may have lost a record to Shuman, but she still had a standout day, improving two of her own school marks.

Wilkins won the 200 meters in 25.32 – shaving .15 seconds off her previous record of 25.47 set last season.

She also ran 14.22 in the 100-meter hurdles, trimming nearly a second off her previous mark of 14.69.

South Effingham won the girls portion of the eight-team meet with 197.5 points, finishing 17.5 points ahead of second-place Brunswick.

The Mustang boys finished fifth in the 10-team field.