10/28/2026 10:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - What began as a walk-on opportunity with the North Florida cross country and track and field program has developed into a memorable collegiate career for senior Paul Lespasio, who has emerged as one of the Ospreys' top distance runners during his final season.
The Bradenton, Fla., native has spent his time at North Florida developing both as a runner and a person, turning years of hard work and dedication into a standout senior campaign. With the ASUN Conference Cross Country Championship approaching on Friday, Lespasio is looking to make the most of his remaining opportunities to compete alongside his teammates.
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"Definitely not taking anything for granted," Lespasio said. "[I'm] just appreciating everything and living in the moment a little more. Even if it's a bad day, just being grateful, feeling blessed and enjoying my time with my teammates while it lasts."
Lespasio has put together an impressive 2026 campaign, recording four consecutive top-10 finishes to open the season, in addition to three top-five performances. The senior has led North Florida in each of its last three meets, helping the Ospreys earn one team title, two runner-up finishes and a sixth-place finish through four competitions.
He opened the fall with a third-place finish at the Florida XC Intercollegiate Invitational, setting a personal-best 5K time of 15:00.37 while helping North Florida capture the team title in its lone home meet this season. Lespasio followed with a fourth-place finish at the Queens City Invite before placing fourth once again at the Georgia Tech XC Invitational on Oct. 2, clocking a personal-best 8K time of 24:07.35.
Lespasio's success continued at the Joe Handelman '52 Fall Classic on Oct. 16, where he led North Florida with a 10th-place finish in a competitive 20-team field featuring nationally ranked opponents. The performance earned him ASUN Runner of the Week honors on Oct. 19, marking his first weekly conference recognition of the season.
While Lespasio has emerged as a leader for the Ospreys during his senior campaign, his journey to this point has been built on years of steady improvement.
After arriving at North Florida in 2022, Lespasio made his collegiate debut during the 2023 outdoor track and field season before competing in his first cross country season that fall. He earned ASUN All-Freshman Team honors in 2023 and has continued to develop throughout his time with the Ospreys.
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His progress has been reflected in his performances, improving his 8K time by more than 55 seconds from his collegiate cross country debut at the 2023 Mountain Dew Invitational to his personal-best performance at Georgia Tech earlier this season.
"As a runner, I just kind of stayed consistent," Lespasio said. "It's been a very gradual growth as a runner, and it just shows after four years of being consistent. You feel a lot better and more confident about yourself."
Lespasio has also found success competing for North Florida's track and field program. During the 2025 indoor season, he captured the 5000m title at the Celebration Pointe Classic with a time of 14:26.52. He followed with another 5000m victory at the East Coast Relays during the outdoor season and recorded a personal-best time of 30:28.18 in the 10000m at the UCF Black & Gold Challenge.
In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Lespasio earned ASUN Academic Honor Roll recognition during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years.
Beyond his individual accomplishments, Lespasio's time at North Florida has carried a special family connection. His older sister, Raquel, competed for UNF's cross country and track and field programs, giving the siblings an opportunity to represent the same university and spend one season together as teammates.
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"I was able to be on the same team with her for a year, and that was super cool," Lespasio said. "It was really nice to have someone that you are so close to and can always ask questions about anything. Not just running, but other things like living in a new place, Jacksonville, stuff like that."
Having someone familiar with the program and Jacksonville provided Lespasio with a valuable resource during his early years at North Florida. Even after Raquel completed her collegiate career, the siblings remained connected through the sport, with his sister continuing to follow his performances and share in his experiences.
As Lespasio prepares for his final ASUN Cross Country Championship, he has one accomplishment remaining that he hopes to add to his collegiate career.
Despite his individual accolades and years of success, Lespasio has yet to experience a conference championship during his time at North Florida. With the Ospreys looking to capture an ASUN title, the senior hopes to help bring a championship back to UNF's campus.
"I've never won a conference championship since I've been here, either individually or as a team, in cross country or track," Lespasio said. "It would mean a lot to finally win one, and I'm going to do my best to make that happen."
North Florida will compete at the ASUN Cross Country Championship on Friday, Oct. 30, in Richmond, Ky., where Lespasio will look to help the Ospreys claim the conference crown.
