Kenzie Bradley and Jacob Wittman didn’t receive a medal at the recent PIAA Track and Field Championships, but the duo sent reverberations and helped set a tone for the program over the next few years.

Bradley finished 10th in the long jump and 14th in the high jump, while Wittman was 13th in the pole vault.

“Things didn’t go as planned,” said head coach Kyle Rusnock of his two athletes. “They were going against the best in the state and it was a fantastic experience for both of them.

“They both weren’t at the top of their game, but this is where you want to be. They both are phenomenal athletes who both be remembered as being among the best in the history of the program.”

Bradley, who finished second at districts in both events and won gold in the long jump at the Colonial League meet. Her leap of 18.75 inches broke the previous school record of 17-10 set by Lori James.

As she always does, Bradley took the event in stride.

“It was an honor to be able to go out to the state championship meet and compete in two events,” said Bradley. “I didn’t necessarily do what I wanted to do while I was there, but it was another memorable experience to finish off my Catasauqua sports career.

“Although I was not happy with my results, I now look at it as a learning experience for my next four years competing at college.”

Even thought the duo will leave a big void to fill, Rusnock is confident of his retuning core next season. Among those who showed plenty of promise at the district meet were Tory Simmons in the javelin and Lexi Rushatz in distance running.

“Tory (Simmons) did a nice job for us all season and she came a long way,” said Rusnock. “Lexi (Rushatz) ran hard all season beginning with cross country and she really improved in track. She was running with the pack and she now knows what it will take to get to the next level.”

“Our boys’ sprinters made progress as well as our 4 x100 relay teams.”

Rusnock sees Bradley and Wittman leaving a lasting impression for the next group of contributors.

“They helped set the stage for everyone else,” said Rusnock. “Now, they have to go out and do what they can do to get better. We have a bunch of eighth graders coming next year, and we may need another bus soon.

“This was a great season in which we had a number of athletes qualify for the tournaments and hit their best times and marks.”