MABANK–A record that had stood since 1959 in the history books of Mabank High School was finally broken at the Area meet in late April 2022.
The team of Ty’Rand Blanton, Beau Kilgore, Jayden Rodgers and Sean Henry broke the school record for the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:26.43, advancing to the Regional track meet just weeks ago.
And then a couple of weeks later, on the morning of May 13 in the gymnasium of Mabank High School, Blanton, Kilgore, Rodgers and Henry were joined by the four men who set the record 63 years prior, nearly five decades before any of the previous four were born. 
The original record holders were a set of three brothers alongside Bob Busby. The Groom brothers, Jerry Don, Ronald and Charles ran with Busby in the 4x400 over six decades ago and set a record that stood for over half a century. 
Also on-hand at the gathering were multiple members of all four families with fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters and so many more. One of the first to speak was Mabank Athletic Director Zack Hudson on how strong the program is at Mabank High School and how athletes have been building throughout his time at the helm of Mabank.
Then maybe the biggest words of the afternoon came from Ronald Groom, the original third leg of the relay team. 
He spoke on the foundation that the team was built on with his two brothers and their friend Bob Busby. It took a strong household to not only raise three athletes, but just three brothers in general. Ronald gave thanks to his parents for the hard work that they put in to make sure that he and his brothers had everything they needed to be the best they could be in every facet of life. Their brother Jerry even took seventh and eighth grade combined so that he could compete on the high school team alongside Ronald and Charles. 
Then speaking on behalf of the new record holders was current Mabank High School Assistant Track Coach Tim Kilgore. Kilgore also spoke on the state of the Mabank athletic program and the foundation that the team is built, as well as honoring Busby and the Groom brothers for the standard they set.
Kilgore stated that the family of the Grooms had to have strong faith and strong resolve to raise three strong boys that competed hard. Now, with the new faces of recent record breakers, the baton has officially been passed on to the next generation who worked hard to earn their spot in the record books.
Kilgore even said at the beginning of the track season that they weren’t even focused on the record and didn’t even know what the standing record was. But, as the team progressed through practices and meets, their times began to improve and get closer and closer. 
Now with their eyes on their place in Mabank history, the team of Blanton, Kilgore, Rodgers and Henry set the record at the Area meet April 21 in Sunnyvale, punching their names forever into the history of the Mabank athletic program. 
To round out the gathering, all eight athletes gathered for a picture to officially pass the baton on to the new generation. And to show the recent record breakers how they set it in the first place, the team of Busby and the Groom brothers each got in their positions and passed off the baton one last time to the cheers and smiles of coaches, family members, friends and the athletes which they inspired.