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.
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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
Boys' 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