After 35 years, the record still stands.

Tom Paserba was a member of Butler's 1,600-meter relay team that ran a time of 3 minutes and 19 seconds in 1969. No relay team in Butler County has run the event faster before or since.

The 1970 Butler graduate was part of WPIAL record-setting relay teams and became a state champion while serving as a tri-captain for the Slippery Rock State College track and field team.

Now he's becoming a member of the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame. Paserba will be one of the seven 2005 inductees at the organization's annual banquet at 6:30 p.m. April 30 at the Butler Days Inn.

"It's quite an honor and I'm excited about it," Paserba said. "I'm amazed by the support I've gotten during the nomination process."

He's also amazed that 1,600-relay record still stands. Paserba teamed with Ted Bobby, Chuck Maffei and Frank Hilovsky to set that record in 1969.

Bobby was inducted into the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.

"We ran on all cinder tracks," Paserba said. "It's something to see the way the sport has evolved. There's such an improvement in coaching and in the facilities these days. It's great to see."

Bobby and Hilovsky also joined Paserba on the Golden Tornado's 880-meter relay team that will forever hold the county record, since that event no longer exists.

Paserba stands eighth on the county's all-time list with a 10.9-second time in the 100 meters and 10th with a time of 22.3 seconds in the 200 meters.

He was named Butler's Most Valuable Performer in track in 1970. Paserba ran on the Tornado's 1969 880-yard and 1,600-meter relay teams that set WPIAL records and placed third and second at the state meet, respectively.

Track and field was his sport of success in high school. He earned a starting position at halfback in football his junior year, but suffered two broken ribs and saw limited action.

A leg injury curtailed his playing time as a senior as well.

"I wasn't able to get on the field too much," Paserba said. "It was disappointing."

He made up for it in the spring. Paserba's track exploits earned him offers from numerous colleges. He opted for Slippery Rock and followed former high school coach Bill Lennox, who left Butler to coach at The Rock two years earlier.

Ed Hepe coached Paserba in high school as well.

"It helped me tremendously having Coach Lennox for all those years," Paserba said. "He was a dynamic individual who stressed the team concept.

"We had great individual talent, but he molded some great relay teams through that team concept."

Slippery Rock won the Pennsylvania state championship in 1972 and Paserba ran on the 440-yard relay team that claimed a state title. That unit set a state record while winning the event in 1971.

Paserba's two sons, Tom and Josh, are 1993 and 1999 graduates of Butler High School. Both were active in varsity sports there.

Paserba was active in coaching as well. He coached Little League baseball and Pop Warner football while living in Illinois. His son, Tom, played on his Pop Warner football team that won the Chicago-area championship.

Upon returning to Butler, Paserba helped guide the Penn Street Cardinals to a Butler Area Midget Football League title. He also worked with the South Butler Flyers, a track and field program in the South Butler School District.