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Signing day: Where Southeastern Pa.’s top athletes will play in college

Eric Dixon and Lucas Monroe will continue their basketball careers at Villanova and Penn, respectively. Abington girls' star Kassondra Brown is set to sign with Rhode Island.

Abington's Eric Dixon, a Villanova recruit, drives against Plymouth Whitemarsh's Naheem in last season's PIAA District 1 Class 6A final at Temple.
Abington's Eric Dixon, a Villanova recruit, drives against Plymouth Whitemarsh's Naheem in last season's PIAA District 1 Class 6A final at Temple.Read moreLOU RABITO / Staff

The first day of the national signing period began Wednesday, and there's a significant change from past years.

There is no longer an early signing period for every sport except football and basketball. In all other sports, Wednesday is the initial signing date for a period that runs through August 1, 2019.

Basketball's early signing period began Wednesday and lasts a week. The regular period is from April 17 to May 15.

Football added an early signing period last year. This year it is from Dec. 19-21.

The regular period for Division-I football commitments begins Feb. 6 and ends on April 1. For Division II, the period starts on Feb. 6 and ends on Aug. 19.

Locally, Abington's Eric Dixon and Lucas Monroe have committed to play basketball at Villanova and Penn, respectively.

The 6-foot-8, 265-pound Dixon orally committed to the Wildcats in the spring. A power forward and four-star prospect according to ESPN, he is an inside-outside scoring threat.

"It really came down to the overall culture at Villanova, wanting to be part of that community, and there being no better program in the country," Dixon said in April.

Last season, Dixon averaged 24 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocked shots as the Ghosts went 24-6, earned their third PIAA District 1 title in four seasons, and reached the Class 6A state quarterfinals.

With 1,616 career points, Dixon ranks third on the Abington's all-time list. He is only 66 points shy of eclipsing the record set by Richard Wright in 1975.

Like Dixon, Monroe has been a fixture in Abington's lineup since his freshman year. Both were first-team all-Suburban One League National Conference selections last season.

The 6-6, 185-pound Monroe, a versatile combination guard, produced 12 points, eight boards, and seven assists as the Ghosts nipped Plymouth Whitemarsh, 75-73, in last year's district final at Temple.

Abington coach Chuck Grasty said he is glad that Dixon and Monroe have put difficult decisions behind them and can focus on their senior campaigns.

"They're just enjoying high school now, not putting a lot of pressure on themselves to impress college scouts," Grasty said Tuesday.

Kassondra Brown, the catalyst for Abington's girls' basketball team, is set to sign with Rhode Island.

Brown, a 6-2 forward, averaged 18.3 points and 11.5 boards while earning Class 6A second-team all-state honors last season.

Plymouth Whitemarsh's Naheem McLeod, a 7-3 senior center, is scheduled to announce his college destination at 6 p.m. Thursday at the school's new gymnasium.

McLeod, who averaged 19.5 points and 11 boards last season, has narrowed his list to La Salle, Rhode Island, and Florida State.

Southeastern Pa. college commitments

Seniors in sports other than football can begin signing national letters of intents Wednesday. Here are some who have committed to Division I colleges.

Boys' Basketball

​John Bol Ajak Westtown Syracuse​

Dahmir Bishop Imhotep Charter Xavier

Tahj Campbell Mastery North Morgan State

Zach Chrisler La Salle Rice

Eric Dixon Abington Villanova

Jack Forrest Lower Merion Columbia

Jalen Gaffney Westtown Connecticut

Hakim Hart Roman Catholic St. Joseph's

Christian Ings Neumann-Goretti Rider

Keeshawn Kellman Perk. School Princeton

Konrad Kiszka La Salle Princeton

Seth Lundy Roman Catholic Penn State

Xavier Mayo Hill School NJIT

Ryan Moffatt Hill School Colgate

Lucas Monroe Abington Penn

Jacob O'Connell St. Joseph's Prep Princeton

Christian Ray Haverford School La Salle

Jamil Riggins Imhotep Charter Binghamton

Donta Scott Imhotep Charter Maryland

Ray Somerville Shipley Cal State Bakersfield

Isaiah Wong Bonner-Prendie Miami

Sean Yoder Pennridge Navy​

Girls' Basketball

Tori Abelson C.B. West Florida Atlantic ​

Anna Camden Shipley Penn State

Rachel Balzer Germantown Ac. George Mason

Bri Borcky Garnet Valley Drexel

Alexa Brodie C.B. South Colgate

Kassondra Brown Abington Rhode Island

Alisha Lewis Strath Haven Georgia Tech

Emily McAteer Garnet Valley Loyola (Md.)

Marissa McDonald W.C. East NJIT

Amanda McGurk Notre Dame Penn

Brooke Mullin Neshaminy Bucknell

Diana Nicholson C.B. West Radford

Maggie Pina Notre Dame Boston U.

Lauren Ross Shipley St. Joseph's

​Baseball

Dakota Barbet Germantown Ac. George Washington

Nolan Bolton Dock Mennonite Liberty

Albert Choi Down. East NJIT

Ben Christian Methacton Lehigh​

Matt Cooper C.B. West Delaware

Colin Costello Holy Ghost Prep La Salle

Calvin Costner Haverford School Rhode Island

Liam Dabagian Malvern Prep Elon

​Riley Davis Avon Grove UNC Wilmington

Nick Dean Bensalem Maryland

John DeMucci Bonner-Prendergast La Salle

Demetrius deRamus Penn Charter Mount St. Mary's

Adam Fine Harriton St. Joseph's

Chris Furey Conwell-Egan La Salle

Adam Grintz Down. West Tulane

Eric Grintz Down. West North Carolina

Aaron Groller Souderton Seton Hall

Andrew Humphrey Unionville NJIT

Tyler Kehoe Arch. Carroll North Carolina

Jack Kochanowicz Harriton Virginia

Joe Loynd C.B. West Delaware ​

Kyle Lyons Unionville Bucknell

Alden Mathes Marple Newtown Richmond

John McNamee Holy Ghost Prep Rider

Joe Messina Neumann-Goretti La Salle

Zack Miles North Penn Lehigh​

Chris Newell Malvern Prep Virginia

Jack O'Reilly Episcopal Ac. Notre Dame

Domenic Picone Garnet Valley Rhode Island

Jack Popolizio Germantown Ac. Fordham

Gabe Rappa Neumann-Goretti La Salle

Joe Richardson St. Joe's Prep Bucknell

Sammy Siani Penn Charter Duke

Colten Smith Germantown Ac. Duke

David Smith Perkiomen School La Salle

Phil Stahl Holy Ghost Prep Monmouth

Ryan Stalker C.R. North UNC Asheville

Ryan Staropoli Holy Ghost Prep Lehigh

Carlos Torres Perkiomen School Lehigh

Softball

Kylie Kenney C.B. West Bryant

Jordan Pietrzylowski North Penn Hofstra

B​oys' Soccer

Phil Burckhardt Spring. Chestnut Hill Drexel

Owen Elliott Spring.Chestnut Hill Penn State

Nkosi Graham Holy Ghost Prep Evansville

Zach Hurchalla Malvern Prep Bucknell

Alex Kades Harriton Penn

​Kat Rivera Bensalem Old Dominion

Luke Smith Conestoga Bucknell

Griffin Wada Haverford School Chicago

Girls' Soccer

Allison Asmann Lower Moreland St. Francis (Pa.)

Mary Byerly Bishop Shanahan Temple

Mackenzie Edwards C.B. South Pittsburgh

Grace Gordon Shipley Drexel

Leah Greene Avon Grove Winthrop

Maddie Loughead Episcopal Ac. Richmond

Mary Kate Levush Pennridge Longwood

Camryn Lexow Abington Virginia

Annalena O'Reilly Haverford High Drexel

Isabella Mansella C.B. South Wagner

Sydney Marasco Perkiomen Valley Pittsburgh

Alexa Ortman C.B. West La Salle

Gabrielle Perrotto Phoenixville Drexel

Sophie Pinnie Notre Dame Dartmouth

Haley Pursel Quakertown Lafayette

Sara Readinger Souderton Penn

Anna Salvucci Episcopal Ac. Connecticut

Rachael Senyk Villa Joseph Marie High Point

Natalie Sgro Baldwin Charleston

Gia Vicari Baldwin Georgetown

Field Hockey

Caitlyn Amsden Pennridge Temple

Hannah Barsky C.R. North Villanova

Kaitlyn Benton Methacton St. Joseph's

Claire Borman Kennett Villanova

​Sydney Borneman Pennridge Temple​

Reese Canaday Oxford Liberty

Margo Carlin Merion Mercy Boston College

Sydney Corcoran Haverford High Old Dominion

Lauren Curran Notre Dame Boston College

Keri Daly Arch. Carroll St. Joseph's

Lauren Devletian Episcopal Ac, Dartmouth

Julia Flood Sacred Heart Sacred Heart University

Nicole Fredricks W.C. East Old Dominion

Molly Frey Methacton Temple

Bridge Gallagher Owen J. Roberts Liberty

Carly Gannon Haverford High Penn State

Maya Geller Pennsbury Penn

Olivia Griffith W.C. Henderson Drexel

Samie Hackman Pennsbury La Salle

Meg Hadfield W.C. Rustin Hofstra

Mary Harkins Villa Maria Duke

Gabby Herschell Phoenixville Quinnipiac

Adele Iacobucci Villa Maria Virginia

Sloan Isen Westtown Colgate

Claudia Jaszczak Down. West Michigan State

Caroline Kelly Episcopal Ac. Boston U.

Mari Kniezewski Mount St. Joseph's Colgate

Julianna Kratz Mount St. Joseph Fairfield

Cailey Lever C.B. East Drexel

Page Lowry Radnor Fairfield

Francesca Lucchesi Methacton Temple

Ellie Maransky Mount St. Joseph Georgetown

Gabby Martina Perkiomen Valley Drexel

Madison Miles Unionville Appalachian State

Anna Miller Down. West St. Joseph's

Hannah Miller Villa Maria Duke

Isabella Palde Hill School Cornell

Gianna Pantaleo Episcopal Ac. Boston U.

Sammy Popper Germantown Ac. Princeton

Kennedy Reardon Plym.-Whitemarsh Indiana

Casey Reilly C.B. West La Salle

Maddie Rehak Episcopal Ac. Bucknell

Casey Reichwein C.B. West Michigan

Casey Reilly C.B. South La Salle

Celina Riccardo Down. West Michigan State ​

Maeve Riehman Arch. Carroll Rider

​Julianna Smyth Down. West St. Joseph's

Samantha Spera Plym.-Whitemarsh Hofstra

​Boys' Lacrosse

Ricky Amorim Plymouth Whitemarsh Providence

Zach Augustine Avon Grove Drexel

Gunnar Bogorowski Germantown Ac. Lafayette

Will Bryan Conestoga Holy Cross

Gavin Burke Haverford School Villanova

Billy Carlini Malvern Prep Holy Cross

Quinn Chambers Episcopal Academy Johns Hopkins

Claudio Chieffo Malvern Prep Fairfield

Patrick Clemens Springfield (Delco) St. Joseph's

Zac Coar La Salle Drexel

Dean Costalas Spring-Ford Providence

Mac Costin Haverford School Utah

Gavin Derham Germantown Ac. Villanova

Luke DiGiacobbe Malvern Prep Penn

Liam DiFonzo Springfield (Delco) Lafayette

Gabe Furey Episcopal Ac. Penn

Peter Garno Haverford School Virginia

Donny Gayhardt Malvern Prep Colgate

Kyle Gucwa Bishop Shanahan Manhattan

Anna Green C.B. West Cincinnati

Jack Henderson Episcopal Ac. Penn State

Collin Hurley W.C. Rustin Delaware

Hunter Jaronski Acad. New Church Johns Hopkins

Logan Lazasz La Salle Vermont

Zach Lee Penn Charter Syracuse

Drew Lenkaitis Unionville Vermont

Evan Lotz Malvern Prep Lafayette

Collin Loughead Episcopal Ac. Boston U.

Gavin McGill Malvern Prep Lafayette

Christopher Mockaitis La Salle UMass Amherst

Ryan Niggeman Haverford School Lehigh

Bailey O'Connor Acad. New Church Army

Shane Osborne La Salle Denver

Joey Paterno Acad. New Church St. Bonaventure

Chase Patterson, C.R. South Hofstra

Will Pettit Malvern Prep North Carolina

Bryan Rafferty Bishop Shanahan St. Bonaventure

Stephen Rinck North Penn Siena

Benjamin Rivera La Salle Fairfield

Drew Robinson Hatboro-Horsham Navy

Liam Rosenthal C.B. East Robert Morris

Jesse Roth W.C. East Bellarmine

Sean Rushton Malvern Prep Lafayette

Adam Salvaggio Haverford School Colgate

Ryan Stout C.B East Sacred Heart

Joe Taylor La Salle Penn State

Luke Wierman W.C. Henderson Fairfield

Girls' Lacrosse

Lily Allen Notre Dame Fairfield

Lauren Avery Agnes Irwin Syracuse

Jane Bailey Conestoga Denison

Liza Bailey Conestoga Quinnipiac

Lindsey Barnes Notre Dame High Point

Grace Bartosh Agnes Irwin Harvard

Corinne Bednarik Downingtown West Drexel

Grace Brenann Garnet Valley American

Becky Browndorf Upper Dublin Florida

Sarah Clark Conestoga Lafayette

Cate Cox Radnor Lehigh

Emily Coyne Agnes Irwin Penn

Cecilia de Guzman Senyk Agnes Irwin Colgate

Liza Dellaratta Arch. Carroll La Salle

Kelly Dickson Wissahickon St. Francis (Pa.)

Olivia Dirks Episcopal Ac. Penn State

Grace Donnelly Shipley Colorado Boulder

Olivia Doody Germantown Ac. Fairfield

Kaley Ehnow Abington Elon

Emily Feeney Down. West Quinnipiac

Eloise Gebert Owen J. Roberts Navy

Hannah Gillespie Notre Dame Northwestern

Claire Gola Notre Dame Boston U.

Arielle Hammer Hatboro-Horsham Boston U.

Michaela Haney Spring-Ford Penn

Chloe Hansen Gwynedd Mercy La Salle

Maeve Heckard Lansdale Catholic Michigan

Madison Henry Arch. Carroll Bryant

Randy Hess Souderton Liberty

Samantha Intrieri Wissahickon Towson

Anna Joseph Abington East Carolina

Kat Kelley Perkiomen Valley Colorado Boulder

Julia Klein Haverford High VCU

Hailey Klinger Conestoga Chicago

Kristy Kucia Arch. Carroll High Point

Logan Lazasz Pennridge High Point

Livi Lawton Down. East North Carolina

Cassie Marte Spring-Ford Lehigh

Jamira Mashore​ Abington Winthrop

Isabelle Mastropietro Sringfield (Delco) Temple

Riley McGowan Souderton Temple

Belle McHugh Notre Dame Drexel

Madi McKee Garnet Valley La Salle

Liz Meister Mount St. Joseph High Point

Peyton Mottice Down. West Cincinnati

Abby Natoli C.B. West Iona

Kara Nealon Garnet Valley Penn State

Regan Nealon Garnet Valley Penn State

Maggie O'Brien Notre Dame Richmond

Jillian Quigley Spring-Ford Florida

Lauren Rader Agnes Irwin Bucknell

Emily Raech Arch. Carroll Old Dominion

Riley Redpath Spring. Chestnut Hill Davidson

Isabelle Rohr Episcopal Ac. Penn

Danielle Santora Sacred Heart Hofstra

Caroline Schaefer Garnet Valley Old Dominion

Nia Scott Conestoga Louisville

Julie Schickling Springfield (Delco) Temple

Sydney Sloan Conestoga William & Mary

Emily Stewart Harriton Iona

Jessica Sulouff Arch. Carroll La Salle

Mariah Sweeney Hill School Michigan

Delaney Sweitzer Springside Chestnut Hill USCS

Savannah Sweitzer Springside Chestnut Hill USC

Elizabeth Talluto Shipley Fairfield

Paige Tyson Perkiomen Valley Virginia Tech

Lindsay Walling Episcopal Ac. William and Mary

Molly Weygand Upper Merion Drexel

Emily Wills Agnes Irwin Loyola (Md.)

Emily Wurzel Down. East Cincinnati

​Wrestling

Nick Florschutz Malvern Prep Bucknell​

Henry Hague Malvern Prep Navy

Dan Mancini Owen J. Roberts Virginia Tech

Patrick O'Neill North Penn Bloomsburg

Ryan Vulakh Pope John Paul II George Mason

Tyler Williams Souderton Drexel

Boys' Crew

Roman Smigiel La Salle Drexel

Girls' Crew

Isabelle Begley Merion Mercy Syracuse

Sofia Bernal Mount St. Joseph Iowa

​Claire Broderick Mount St. Joseph Villanova

Katie Edling Mount St. Joseph Georgetown

Morgan Gantt Episcopal Ac. Notre Dame

Riley Gorman Mount St. Joseph Temple

​Katie Greed  Mount St. Joseph Notre Dame

Taylor Gregitis Merion Mercy North Carolina

​Gia Hunt Mount St. Joseph Drexel

Lauren Kiefner Mount St. Joseph Clemson

Sophia Lamb Merion Mercy Drexel

Eileen McKenna Mount St. Joseph George Washington

Ayden McPhilemy Mount St. Joseph Drexel

Rebecca Naser Merion Mercy Stetson

Logan Sudholz Pennridge Miami

Erin Welch Merion Mercy Boston U.

Cece Wendel Merion Mercy Washington

​​Boys' Track and Field

Michael Cannon C.B. West Monmouth

Matt Eissler Pennridge Penn

Girls' Track and Field

Bria Barnes Cheltenham Iowa State

Girls' Volleyball

Michaela Devlin Bishop Shanahan Sacred Heart

Julia Thomas Bishop Shanahan Iona

Alysa Wright Bishop Shanahan Bryant

Boys' Swimming and Diving

Matthew Bonnell Abington Penn

Sam Henninger Abington La Salle

Tommy Lutter Lower Moreland Delaware

Matt Magness Malvern Prep Ohio State

Girls' Swimming and Diving

Madison Dickert Penncrest Duquesne

Heather MacClausland Down. East N.C. State

Rabea Pfaff Avon Grove North Carolina

Girls' Tennis

Stow Weiss Mount St. Joseph St. Joseph's

Boys' Golf

David Hurly Haverford School Lehigh

John Updike Malvern Prep Maryland

Girls' Golf

Samantha Yao Conestoga Dartmouth

For additions or corrections, contact Rick O'Brien robrien@phillynews.com