CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dragan Pesic will no longer lead the Queens University of Charlotte men's and women's track & field and cross country programs after parting ways with the Royals today, Queens Director of Athletics Cherie Swarthout announced.  
 
"I want to thank Dragan for his contributions to our track & field programs," Swarthout stated.  "We wish him the best moving forward."
 
Pesic took over the program in June following a historic 2023-2024 Division I season in which 10 Royals earned medals, including four ASUN champions. Emilija Kusic secured titles in the pentathlon and heptathlon, while Job van Keulen earned gold in the decathlon. Furthermore, Veteran Lucy Walliker won the high jump with a school-record 1.84m performance.
 
As teams, both the men's and women's track and field programs saw significant improvements from their inaugural Division 1 campaign as Queens placed fifth at the ASUN Championships compared to an eighth and sixth-place finish the year before. The Royals also turned in over 100 top 10 marks and broke multiple school records across various event groups during the 2023-24 campaign.
 
This indoor season, the Royals have gotten off to a great start, breaking four Queens records and turning in several top-10 marks. With the ASUN Indoor Championships just a few weeks away, their notable performances have been recognized at the conference level with multiple ASUN Weekly Awards.
 
In his first ASUN campaign, Pesic assisted athletes in breaking school records in multiple events. He also played a large role in coaching Royal standout Melanie Welsing as she won four ASUN Conference Championship titles and set a 400m hurdles ASUN record.
 
That same year, Pesic's multi-event team achieved a notable third-place ranking per the USTFCCA Event Squad Ranking. Newcomer Halle Perry put together a strong first-year campaign as she ranked within the top 16 among NCAA Division I freshmen heptathletes. Pesic also coached ASUN top three finishers in five events while also seeing six school records fall. Additionally, the Royals saw one of their own represent at the USA Championships Qualifier.
 
Queens Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track & Field Coach Will Crocker will lead as interim director until the Royals' outdoor track and field season ends.
 
The search for a new head coach is currently underway.

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