Queens University of Charlotte Athletics

Dragan Pesic (pronounced P-eh-sh-ih-ch) enters his first season as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at Queens University of Charlotte. He was promoted to the position in June 2024, following a successful tenure as the Associate Head Track & Field coach.

Pesic oversees all aspects of the program and continues to coach Heptathlon, Decathlon, High Jump, and Hurdles for both men and women.

Pesic is coming off a historic 2023-2024 season in which the Royals earned 11 medals at the ASUN Championships, four being ASUN champions. Emilija Kusic secured titles in the Indoor Pentathlon and Outdoor Heptathlon. Job van Keulen won gold in the Decathlon and qualified for the World Championships.Lucy Walliker won the High Jump with a school-record 1.84m performance, placed 2nd at the Great Britain Olympic Trials, and became the English Champion in High Jump.

Both the men’s and women’s track and field programs saw significant improvements from their inaugural Division I campaign. Queens climbed to fifth place at the ASUN Championships, compared to eighth and sixth place finishes the year prior. The Royals also recorded over 100 top 10 marks and broke numerous school records across various event groups.
Pesic’s commitment to excellence and his ability to develop athletes have been instrumental in elevating Queens University of Charlotte's Track & Field and Cross-Country programs to new heights.

2024 Accomplishments
• 4 ASUN titles 
• 11 ASUN Top 3 Finishers
• 4 School Records
• 105 top 10 All Time in School History
• World Championships Qualifier
• Great Brittain Olympic Trails Silver Medalist
• English National Champion 


2023 Accomplishments
• 4 ASUN titles 
• 5 ASUN Top 3 Finishers
• ASUN Record
• ASUN MVP of the Championship
• 6 School Records
• 60 top 10 All Time in School History
• No 3 Pentathlon squad ranking in NCAA 
• No 3 Pentathlon squad ranking in NCAA
• USA Championships Qualifier 

2022 Accomplishments 
• 9 NCAA Qualifiers
• 3 NCAA All-America certificates
• 3 SAC Team titles
• 5 SAC Records
• SAC Indoor/Outdoor Women's Field Athlete of the Year recipient
• 8 School Records
• No 1 decathlon squad ranking in NCAA
• USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women’s Indoor Track & Field Assistant Coach of the Year 

In the 2022 spring season, Coach Pesic made an immediate impact with the Royals. Nine Royals qualified for the NCAA National Indoor and Outdoor Championships under his guidance. Notably, Melanie Welsing and Lucy Walliker achieved NCAA Indoor Track & Field All-American status, with school record-breaking performances in the 60m Hurdles (8.41) and High Jump (1.79m), respectively. Lucy Walliker was honored as the SAC Field Athlete of the Year. 

In addition, Pesic coached three Royals to surpass the 5,000-point barrier in the heptathlon, including Simon Rey, who set a school record with 5,427 points. Rey qualified for the NCAA Championships in the Heptathlon. Additionally, Klei achieved a school record in the 400m with a time of 47.49. With the assistance of Pesic and his group of multi-talented athletes, the Royals won the 2022 men’s & women’s SAC indoor track & field championships.  The women’s track & field team finished 10th at the NCAA indoor meet. Pesic was named USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women’s Indoor Track & Field Assistant Coach of the Year.

During the outdoor season, the Royals continued to excel, setting multiple school records, including Lucy Walliker in the High Jump (1.81m) and Simon Rey in the Decathlon (7,335 points). Notably, Pesic's group achieved the No. 1 men's squad ranking in the decathlon across all NCAA divisions. Three Royals surpassed the 7,000-point barrier during the 2022 season, with Klei improving from 6,500 to 7,303 points in a single year, ultimately placing third at the NCAA meet in Allendale, MI. Stefan Jungmichel and Simon Rey also competed in the decathlon at the NCAA Championships. Additionally, Walliker (High Jump) and Welsing (100m Hurdles) qualified for the NCAA Championships, contributing to a record number of Royals (13 in total) making it to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Royals' men's team secured victory in the SAC championship.

While at Angelo State, Pesic served as the primary coach for the Ram and Rambelle javelin throwers, short and long hurdlers, and all the decathlon and heptathlon throwing events.  In 2021, Pesic helped the program build the top Decathlon Squad in the NCAA and had a National Champion in Javelin Throw.  In 2020, Pesic helped the team claim its first ever LSC Men's Indoor Title in school history.   

Prior to joining the Rams coaching staff, Pesic competed for Angelo State University while in Graduate school earning USTFCCCA All-American First Team honors in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, Pesic was a part of the Men’s Outdoor Team that tied for the highest finish in school history, with a National-Runner Up spot at the NCAA Meet.  

Pesic earned a master's degree in Business Administration and a master's degree in Coaching, Sport, Recreation, and Fitness Administration from Angelo State.   

Prior to that, he attended Tiffin University where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration. He also competed in track & field for the Dragons and was a provisional NCAA qualifier in the heptathlon and decathlon.    

Pesic is a current member of the Montenegro National Team. He won a silver medal in the decathlon at the 2014 Balkan Championships and bronze medals in the decathlon at the 2015, 2017, 2021, and 2022 Balkan Championships. In the most recent Balkan Championships(2024) held in Izmir, Turkey, Pesic has won silver medal in the decathlon. He has represented Montenegro at a total of seven European Team Championships from 2013 to the present day.