Nativity graduate Kiely Chaklos and Tri-Valley graduate Taylor Troutman experienced plenty of success during their high school careers in the Schuylkill League.
Both get to display their talents to the area’s fans at the collegiate level this weekend.
Chaklos and Troutman, both current members of the Lebanon Valley women’s basketball team, return to the area when the Dutchmen host Marywood University in the season opener for both programs at 7 p.m. Saturday at Martz Hall.
Chaklos is a 5-foot-4 senior guard for Lebanon Valley and will be one of its captains this season. Chaklos was the MAC Commonwealth Conference Rookie of the Year in 2011-12, and earned All-Commonwealth Conference Honorable Mention selections her sophomore and junior seasons. Chaklos missed all of the 2014-15 campaign due to injury.
She has 974 career points.
Troutman is a 5-9 forward. She is returning to the basketball court after playing volleyball her first two seasons at Lebanon Valley.
The Dutchmen are picked to finish second in the MAC Commonwealth as voted on by the coaches in their preseason poll.
The Dutchmen received 53 total points to finish in the runner-up spot, just behind Albright. The Lions, led by 2014-15 MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year Kelecia Harris, were a unanimous No. 1 choice, earning all eight first-place votes. Lebanon Valley defeated Albright to win the 2014-15 ECAC South championship in March.
Messiah ranked third with 49 points and the defending MAC Commonwealth champions from Stevenson finished
fourth in the poll with 45 points. Arcadia rounded out the top five with 38 total points.
The Dutchmen also received 48 votes in the D3hoops.com women’s basketball top 25 poll, the most of any MAC Commonwealth team.
Lebanon Valley went 21-9 last season and finished 8-8 in the conference. All five starters are back for the Dutchmen.
This is the second straight year Martz Hall has hosted a college basketball game in an effort to bring some unique events to the historic building.
Kutztown University and Philadelphia University played in men’s basketball at Martz Hall on Nov. 25, 2014. Kutztown won 75-72 in overtime in a contest that was supposed to feature Pottsville graduates and former teammates Brandon Bridy (Kutztown) and Nick Schlitzer (Philadelphia). Bridy missed the game with a shoulder injury, while Schlitzer scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Schlitzer is currently playing professional ball in England for the Surrey Scorchers.
Penn State Schuylkill will host Penn State Hazleton in a women’s and men’s doubleheader Tuesday, Dec. 1, in Pottsville. Both teams also met at Martz Hall last year.