August 26, 2018
If the opportunity presented itself, Kelly Bracetty said there would be one, and only one school should we leave Bethlehem Catholic for to coach cross country in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.
That opportunity came knocking close to her residence in Macungie.
At the August 13 school board meeting, the East Penn School District made it official by hiring Bracetty as the school’s new girls and boys cross country coach.
“Emmaus has always had a good reputation from their athletic department to its administration,” said Bracetty last week during the start of the fall sports season. “We wanted to enter out kids into the East Penn School District, but I never expected the position of cross country coach to open with Dan (Wessner) there. When I heard that the position had opened up, Emmaus was the only high school I would leave Bethlehem Catholic for. The opportunity presented itself and I thought it was my time.”
Bracetty, 36, takes over for longtime head coach Dan Wessner who stepped down after 18 seasons.
“Here you have someone that is a East Penn School District resident and has coaching background at other schools within the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and really waited for one position to open up and that being this one,” said new Emmaus athletic director Rebecca George.
“Kelly brings to the table a lot of knowledge because she personally is a runner herself and can go through the trials and tribulations that runners go. She’s also committed to this district so we’re happy to have her as our new head coach.”
Bracetty most recently served as the head coach at Bethlehem Catholic where she spent the last four seasons. Prior to that she spent three years at Muhlenberg College and also served as head coach at Pocono Mountain West from 2005-2008.
She was a highly-decorated, five-sport athlete at Pittston High School (Class of 2000) where she competed in cross country, track and field, soccer, swimming and diving.
Following high school, she attended East Stroudsburg University where competed in cross country and indoor and outdoor track. At ESU, she holds the school record in the 3000m Steeplechase and also qualified for NCAA Division II Nationals and the Qualified Olympic Development Race at the Penn Relays. She also earned three degrees in health, physical education and spanish at ESU.
Bracetty, along with assistant coach Kami Reinhard, welcomed a huge tournout on the first day of fall sports practice on August 13 with approximately 112 student-athletes (70 boys/42 girls) reporting.
Bracetty and her husband David have three girls: Brielle, 6, Gianna, 5 and Jayden, 3.
Emmaus opens its season on Saturday, September 1 as they compete at the Northampton Invitational.