Fitchburg State University veteran coach Jim Jellison knew Paulino Guevara Mateo was a talented cross country runner, but he didn’t know how quickly the freshman would adjust to collegiate running.
Guevara Mateo burst onto the Division 3 collegiate running scene in a hurry, and ended his mind-boggling freshman campaign by being named the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association East Region Men’s Athlete of the Year.
“It certainly is a great honor, but Paulino works so hard,” said Jellison, who was named the BSN Sports Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year as voted on by the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) coaches. “We’ve had some really good runners in the past, but Paulino would be right up there with all those guys.”
The 5-foot-4, 120-pound Guevara Mateo said he couldn’t believe that he performed so well this fall, but knew he needed to work harder than ever in order to find any success in his freshman year.
“I was training so hard and running many hours and miles on my own,” said Guevara Mateo. “I’m proud of that award; it means a lot to me. All that hard work, mornings of waking up and going for a run, is finally paying off.
“I did a lot of extra work,” he said. “I was motivated, doing my miles before practice and lifting. I was surprised (to be named East Region Men’s Athlete of the Year). It makes me happy because my teammates said they are happy to see me improve. I really wanted to run fast and improve every day, and that helped me be better.”
The freshman phenom absolutely dominated his first collegiate fall season, concluding it with a haul of unprecedented accolades. He didn't just win the 2025 NCAA Division III East Regional Championship race—he smashed expectations, becoming the first runner in Fitchburg State history to ever claim a regional championship, with a blistering first–place time of 24:31.6 in Hopkinton, N.H.
“He shocked the field,” said Jellison. “Nobody expected him to win. It was a really strong, hard finish. He won it in the last 500 meters in an all-out sprint.”
Guevara Mateo said that Jellison and his teammates told him there would be faster competitors in the regional, but that he was prepared for the challenge.
Starting behind the fastest runners in the field, Guevara Mateo eventually took the lead on the second lap, but relinquished the lead on the third.
“I wanted to stay constant and finish strong,” said Guevara Mateo. “I was pushing myself to go in front, then I went to his right and sprinted and passed him. At the end, he was coming for me. I looked back and he was right there, and then I saw the finish line and started sprinting. It was an amazing finish. That was my fastest time ever in 8K.”
College is different and it was hard because it was new and I had to make new friends. When I went to campus to train with the team they made me feel comfortable. Now we are good friends and we are a team. It’s like living a dream. I’ve never felt like this before. Everyone is supporting me and cheering me on. I feel more comfortable here; it feels like home now to me because I have my friends and teammates.
His dominance began in the MASCAC, where he was named both Rookie and Runner of the Year after an astonishing conference championship performance. Guevara Mateo left the competition in the dust, finishing a mind-blowing 56 seconds ahead of the second-place runner, powering the Falcons to a strong third-place team finish. The powerhouse runner was virtually unstoppable, earning MASCAC Runner of the Week honors five times and Rookie of the Week six times this fall, rightfully headlining the All-MASCAC team.
"This season was a source of immense pride for the university,” said Fitchburg State Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Matt Burke. “Paulino's performances were a level of achievement that's truly rare for any student-athlete, let alone a freshman. To not only step into collegiate competition but immediately dominate the way he did is a testament to his exceptional talent and work ethic. His success didn't just win him awards, it elevated the entire team and gave our whole athletic department something phenomenal to cheer about. We are incredibly proud of the tone he has set for the next three years."
At the NCAA DIII Men's Cross Country Championships in Spartanburg, S.C. on Nov. 22, Guevara Mateo finished 79th overall with a time of 25:07.4 at the Roger Millikin Cross Country Course, hosted by Converse University.
Guevara Mateo has many fans on campus, as was vividly displayed in S.C., where a dedicated contingent of six students drove 18 hours to cheer him on. Making their presence even more striking, several adopted President Donna Hodge’s recent spirit-wear idea—donning green and gold overalls—a fun, visible sign of Fitchburg State pride and support.
“He’s a real favorite with the kids,” said Jellison. “He always has a smile on his face. He’s such a good kid and hard worker.”
Guevara Mateo said some of his teammates were going to support him in S.C., but then was told that no one could drive them all to the event.
“I went with coach to South Carolina and when I went to the course on Saturday, I was ready to compete and I looked around and they surprised me,” said Guevara Mateo. “It was such a good surprise for me. They drove so many hours to surprise me and went for only one person. It feels like a family here..”
Guevara Mateo – a construction management major – graduated high school from Cambridge Rindge and Latin. Guevara Mateo's athletic career took a decisive turn when his dream of playing high school soccer ended. Not making the team as a sophomore led him to cross country, a sport he eventually fell in love with.
“(Cross country) changed my life, basically because I didn’t know the beauty of running,” he said. “Now, I’m running for me, for the team.”
Jellison said that Guevara Mateo entered the first meet of the season as the No. 4 runner on the team.
“But I knew he was going to be better than that,” said Jellison.
From there, Guevara Mateo continued to work on his craft and got better by grinding every day.
“He’s made huge improvements,” said Jellison. “He runs every day and he doesn't take any shortcuts. He does all the workouts hard and asks for more. He’s what you try to tell every athlete, that if you put in the work you will get better. He works hard in the weight room, too. He gets it done. He just loves running.”
And he loves being a student-athlete at Fitchburg State.
“College is different and it was hard because it was new and I had to make new friends,” said Guevara Mateo. “When I went to campus to train with the team they made me feel comfortable. Now we are good friends and we are a team. It’s like living a dream. I’ve never felt like this before. Everyone is supporting me and cheering me on. I feel more comfortable here; it feels like home now to me because I have my friends and teammates.”