Dameworth, Najar, Chute Pick Colleges

A high school distance runner, a power-hitting high school baseball player and a junior college first baseman have made commitments to four-year schools.

Bryan Dameworth of Agoura High, one of the nation’s most highly recruited distance runners, signed a national letter of intent with the University of Wisconsin on Sunday night. San Fernando High’s John Najar signed a letter of intent to play at Fresno State and Glendale College first baseman Art Chute made an oral commitment to attend Cal State Fullerton.

Dameworth, the 1989 Kinney national cross-country champion, chose the Big Ten Conference school over Oregon and Arizona of the Pacific 10.

“I was a little bit skeptical about going there because of the cold winters,” said Dameworth, who won three consecutive state Division I cross-country titles. “But when I went to visit, everything just clicked. The coaches and athletes seemed to be really close. They all seem to be working toward the same goal.”

Wisconsin’s cross-country tradition didn’t hurt. The Badgers won three NCAA titles (1982, ’85 and ‘88) during the 1980s and finished in the top four seven times.

Najar has slugged seven home runs and driven in 25 runs to lead the area’s City Section players, and, as a right-handed pitcher, he is 3-1 with a 2.52 earned-run average. He said that he was recruited as both a position player and a pitcher.

Najar, who also received a scholarship offer from Cal State Northridge, is the third area player to sign with Fresno State. Garret Anderson of Kennedy, an outfielder, and Bob Kazmirski, a pitcher-shortstop from Agoura, also have signed.

Chute, a sophomore from Temple City High, is batting .409 with 41 runs batted in and a school-record 10 home runs at Glendale. He chose Fullerton over UC Riverside.