Zach Vavro was running with some pretty fast company as a freshman.

Now, as a senior at Butler High School, he's hoping to blaze his own trail.

Vavro closed out the indoor track season recently with an eighth-place finish in the state championships in the 800-meter run.

When he qualified for the state finals during an event at Robert Morris University, he set a Tri-State Track Coaches Association and Butler indoor record in the event with a time of 1 minute, 57.3 seconds.

The time was also the fastest recorded in the state this past season.

"I've always looked at that record and thought it would be cool to hit it," said Vavro. "As soon as I hit the finish, I thought, 'Wow, I did that?'

"I hit my times and splits and didn't feel it. You just get in the middle of the race," he added.

"He actually didn't think he'd run as fast as he could on that track," said Butler coach Larry Young, who works with the middle distance and distance runners.

"Robert Morris has a rubber floor with a track that's not banked, which is not conducive to fast times. I thought he'd be under two minutes, but not by three seconds. That was a four-second improvement indoors for him.

"That was a good sign. Who knows what he can do?" Young added.

Vavro broke onto the high school scene as an alternate on the school-record setting 3,200-relay team of John McGee, Erinn Otterson, Adam Voll and Kregg Kozik in the spring of 2001.

Vavro and Drew Maxwell filled in for McGee and Kozik in the PIAA qualifying round, and the foursome posted a time of 7:58.42.

In the finals the next day, with McGee and Kozik back, the team set a school record with a time of 7:40.22. That was also the second fastest record time in the nation that year, as well as being only four seconds off the national high-school record.

"Getting a chance to run with those guys was amazing," said Vavro. "They set the bar high, and, after three years, I finally realize why I'm doing this."

Vavro admits he was expecting a lot of success following his freshman year and had qualified in a handful of events but had yet to break through.

"I expected to take my lumps. It's a learning experience," said Vavro. "I know I've learned now what to expect."

"If anything, he's held back the past couple of years," said Young. "He had a lack of confidence in how good he could be.

"I think (that indoor performance) is what really put him at the level he needs to be. I think he's thinking, 'Hey, I'm good. If he stays healthy and everything goes well, he has the potential to run very fast outdoors," Young added.

Young said the coaches' organization record Vavro broke was set 55 years ago. He broke McGee's indoor record by half a second.

"That tells you where he is," said Young. "He can run indoors as faster or faster as John McGee and Erinn Otterson."

"Zach has a great work ethic and gives 100 percent, whether it's a practice or a meet," said Tornado head coach Rick Schontz.

"He's a tremendous leader by example and has made tremendous sacrifices for the team. I can't say enough great things about him," Schontz added.

Vavro is optimistic he can parlay his success indoors into his best outdoors season yet.

"The indoor season gets you ready to race," said Vavro. "It's competitive, but more laid back than outdoors. It's a great stepping stone. You get your base workouts out of the way."

He's already eyeballing McGee's school record in the open 800 (1:53.3) and is willing to strive towards it this season.

"I'd like to get under 1:54. If I can do that, I'd be happy. It's great to have goals. That's a really high one and I'd love to get it.

"If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. If I put the effort in, I'll be satisfied."