Loyola Runner Took to Track Rather Quickly : Senior Brian Duff, in only his second year of competition, is a walking (running?) highlight film.

The highlight of Brian Duff’s football career in two years as starting cornerback at Loyola High was running down Bishop Amat running back Daylon McCutcheon on a breakaway.

“I had to run across the field to catch him,” Duff, 18, said about the USC-bound McCutcheon. “It was my biggest moment by far, even more than any interception.”

The highlight of Duff’s track career came at the Pasadena Games at Occidental College March 25, where he ran a lifetime best 1 minute 53.97 seconds in the 800 meters to place second behind Obea Moore of Muir.

The time slashed nearly two seconds off his best of 1:55.79 and earned him third place in the Southern Section Division III finals.

Not bad for a second-year runner who dropped baseball to give track a try last season. And probably not the last track highlight for Duff.

Duff, who has run 22.7 and 49.2 for 200 and 400 meters, will run the 800 in the Arcadia Invitational Saturday night with designs on breaking Brian Shield’s 11-year-old school record of 1:53.22.

“His best distance in college will probably be the 1,500 and 3,000 meters,” Loyola Coach Greg Wells said about the 6-foot, 170-pound Duff. “We noticed he had pretty good speed as a freshman but he was playing baseball. It was his idea to come out for track.”

Success came quickly in Duff’s first season. He was Mission League champion in the 800 and also ran on the Cubs’ league champion 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams. “Baseball wasn’t as much fun and the team wasn’t doing well,” Duff said. “I thought I could go further in track. I enjoy it a lot more. It comes down to you running and performing.”

Duff’s identical twin, Jimmy, who attends Mission League rival Harvard-Westlake, is a member of the U.S. junior national water polo team. Duff is one of several Central City athletes who could make an impact at the City championships and Southern Section divisional finals. Here’s a look at others:

Betty Butler, Dorsey--The junior won the 400 and 800 meters at last year’s City championships. In the 800 heats in the state meet, Butler ran 2:15.88, missing the eighth and final qualifying spot for the final by less than a second. She has also clocked 57.41 in the 400.

Michael Granville, Bell Gardens--The defending State 800-meter champion, the junior broke the all-time national high school record in the indoor 800 last month, running 1:50.55 at the National Scholastic championships in Syracuse last month. He had the fastest time in the nation as a sophomore last season, running 1:48.98 in the Southern Section Division I finals. Keisha Griffis, Washington--The senior placed third in the 300-meter low hurdles in last year’s state meet--the highest finish by a City Section athlete in any event. The two-time defending City 300-meter low hurdle champion, Griffis has a best of 43.59.

Aida Rochin, Garfield--A state meet qualifier at 1,600 meters, the senior placed third in the event at last year’s City meet and has run 5:22.7.

Clarence Scott, Fremont--The junior has a personal best of 23-8 in the long jump. He placed second in the event in the intermediate boys’ division (age 15-16) in the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympics at the University of Florida last July.