Wagner College Athletics

Blerim Pocesta joins the Seahawks' track and field program after completing a successful four-year collegiate career at Manhattan College of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. 

Under head coach Marvin Azor for the 2025-2026 athletic year, Pocesta helped to lead the men's outdoor track & field team to an NEC Championship, with two student-athletes qualifying to participate in NCAA Regionals in three events. For that outdoor performance, Azor and his staff were named the NEC Coaching Staff of the Year. Wagner tallied 17 All-NEC selections for outdoor track & field season, with an additional seven selected to All-NEC teams during indoor season. 

Of Pocesta's throwers, he helped coach standout senior Christopher Milillo, who was an NCAA Regional qualifier and named NEC Spring Scholar-Athletes of the Year for men's outdoor track & field. Milillo qualified for the NCAA East Regional in hammer throw, just as Pocesta did when he competed. Milillo also qualified for the 118th Millrose Games in weight throw, finishing fifth with a 19.45m performance.

In his first season as assistant coach, Pocesta was an integral part of the coaching staff that captured the 2017 Northeast Conference Indoor Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year award. Working with the field athletes, he mentored Zhane Stones, who claimed both the NEC Indoor & Outdoor shot put championships while also garnering NEC Most Outstanding Field Performer (Throws) during the indoor championships. 

A native of Staten Island, Pocesta is a three-time NCAA East Preliminary Qualifier and tied for third place in the hammer throw at the 2015 IC4A Outdoor Championship.  In 2014, he finished sixth at the Millrose Games in the weight throw while also taking home Most Outstanding Performer for Field Events at the 2014 MAAC Indoor Championships while taking home fourth at the IC4A Indoor Championships. Prior to enrolling at Manhattan, Pocesta earned Staten Island PSAL championships in the shot put and discus while being named All-City All-Star as a sophomore at Susan E. Wagner High School.

Pocesta earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Exercise Science at Manhattan and is pursuing a Master's degree at Wagner.