Reynaga Enjoying ‘Great Opportunity’
September 23, 2025 | Cross Country, Track & Field, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Matias Reynaga started running when he was around 12, back in his hometown of Salta, Argentina. He never imagined where it would take him.
"Honestly, I just didn't expect to be in such a place, such an environment, with the athletes here and all the purpose that they have, all the goals. ... Being here is just a great opportunity," said the Georgia cross country runner, a graduate transfer from California Baptist University.
From the outset, Reynaga showed a talent for running. He won a lot of races, from the local to national levels, and eventually caught the eye of Adam Tribble, the Bulldogs' head cross country coach. At the time, Tribble was leading the CBU distance and cross-country teams, before returning to his alma mater in 2024.
"He seemed like a good kid, and I just thought he was going to be pretty good," Tribble said. "In a sense, I took a little bit of a chance on him."
Reynaga didn't speak any English when Tribble was recruiting him, so they communicated via an online translator. "I would literally just be going back and forth, copying and pasting everything," Tribble said.
Coming to the U.S. for college was a big leap for Reynaga. It was both a long way from home and a huge change from everything he had known before.
"When (Tribble) mentioned the opportunity" to attend CBU, "I just couldn't believe it," Reynaga said. "I shared it with my parents, and they all agreed at the end of the day. ... I just saw it as a great opportunity to grow — to grow athletically and academically, and as a person. I just thought it was a great opportunity to keep going. That was my motivation to come, regardless of the barriers."
After Reynaga signed with CBU and arrived in Riverside, Calif., he quickly made an impression on the coaching staff.
"There were little glimpses, and I could just tell that this guy's really special — obviously, a special person, and a really special athlete, as well," Tribble said.
In one of his first cross-country meets, he placed second overall with the 10th-best 8K time in program history. Later that season, he earned second-team All-WAC honors with a 17th-place finish at the conference meet. On the track that spring, he was all-conference in both the 5,000 meters and 10,000.
He wasn't the only runner from South America on the team, so he could speak Spanish with some of his teammates, which was comforting, but he also worked hard on his English. Over the next few years, his running and his English got better and better. By the time the 2024 WAC Outdoor Championships came around, Reynaga was the conference champion in the 1,500 meters.
While running on the track is largely about times, running cross country has a different feel. The courses are all different as far as terrain and sometimes distances, so where you finish matters a lot more than what time you posted.
"You just care about being there with the team and you try to score" points with a high finish, Reynaga said. "That's why I like to not have a watch (on) and I just kind of run free."
Over the summer, Reynaga was back home running in Argentina — and running very well. He won the 15K New Balance road race in Buenos Aires, with a time of 43:53.
"Running in the capital, with all of the people there and all of the other runners, it was a great event," he said.
After Reynaga transferred to Georgia for his final cross-country season — he sat out last fall with an injury — Tribble has seen a very determined, driven and improved runner.
"He is very motivated to really, really do some big things," Tribble said. "My hope for him is that he can really show all that he's done and the tremendous progress that he's made."
In his first meet for the Bulldogs at last month's Covered Bridge Classic in Boone, N.C., Reynaga ran a person-best time of 18:00 on the 6K course. He joined teammates Conner Rutherford and Ryan Olree in a tie for first as the Bulldogs swept the top six spots. Georgia's cross country teams are back in action Friday at the Seminole Invite in Tallahassee, Fla.
For Reynaga, this fall has already been one of new experiences. He went to his first Georgia football game when the Bulldogs opener their season against Marshall.
"It was unbelievable," he said. "There were so many people there. I kind of understand some of the rules, but it was enjoyable at the same time."
As he showed by getting on a plane and embarking on his college journey, Reynaga isn't afraid to venture into the unknown. Once his collegiate running days are done, he's hoping to run professionally.
"I would just keep working day by day, focusing on small details and just giving all my best," he said. "Coming here, I saw an opportunity to be with my coach again and to be able to train with the team. I think I can really grow and progress. I know it's hard to be a professional, but we'll see how it goes."
Staff Writer
Matias Reynaga started running when he was around 12, back in his hometown of Salta, Argentina. He never imagined where it would take him.
"Honestly, I just didn't expect to be in such a place, such an environment, with the athletes here and all the purpose that they have, all the goals. ... Being here is just a great opportunity," said the Georgia cross country runner, a graduate transfer from California Baptist University.
From the outset, Reynaga showed a talent for running. He won a lot of races, from the local to national levels, and eventually caught the eye of Adam Tribble, the Bulldogs' head cross country coach. At the time, Tribble was leading the CBU distance and cross-country teams, before returning to his alma mater in 2024.
"He seemed like a good kid, and I just thought he was going to be pretty good," Tribble said. "In a sense, I took a little bit of a chance on him."
Reynaga didn't speak any English when Tribble was recruiting him, so they communicated via an online translator. "I would literally just be going back and forth, copying and pasting everything," Tribble said.
Coming to the U.S. for college was a big leap for Reynaga. It was both a long way from home and a huge change from everything he had known before.
"When (Tribble) mentioned the opportunity" to attend CBU, "I just couldn't believe it," Reynaga said. "I shared it with my parents, and they all agreed at the end of the day. ... I just saw it as a great opportunity to grow — to grow athletically and academically, and as a person. I just thought it was a great opportunity to keep going. That was my motivation to come, regardless of the barriers."
After Reynaga signed with CBU and arrived in Riverside, Calif., he quickly made an impression on the coaching staff.
"There were little glimpses, and I could just tell that this guy's really special — obviously, a special person, and a really special athlete, as well," Tribble said.
In one of his first cross-country meets, he placed second overall with the 10th-best 8K time in program history. Later that season, he earned second-team All-WAC honors with a 17th-place finish at the conference meet. On the track that spring, he was all-conference in both the 5,000 meters and 10,000.
He wasn't the only runner from South America on the team, so he could speak Spanish with some of his teammates, which was comforting, but he also worked hard on his English. Over the next few years, his running and his English got better and better. By the time the 2024 WAC Outdoor Championships came around, Reynaga was the conference champion in the 1,500 meters.
While running on the track is largely about times, running cross country has a different feel. The courses are all different as far as terrain and sometimes distances, so where you finish matters a lot more than what time you posted.
"You just care about being there with the team and you try to score" points with a high finish, Reynaga said. "That's why I like to not have a watch (on) and I just kind of run free."
Over the summer, Reynaga was back home running in Argentina — and running very well. He won the 15K New Balance road race in Buenos Aires, with a time of 43:53.
"Running in the capital, with all of the people there and all of the other runners, it was a great event," he said.
After Reynaga transferred to Georgia for his final cross-country season — he sat out last fall with an injury — Tribble has seen a very determined, driven and improved runner.
"He is very motivated to really, really do some big things," Tribble said. "My hope for him is that he can really show all that he's done and the tremendous progress that he's made."
In his first meet for the Bulldogs at last month's Covered Bridge Classic in Boone, N.C., Reynaga ran a person-best time of 18:00 on the 6K course. He joined teammates Conner Rutherford and Ryan Olree in a tie for first as the Bulldogs swept the top six spots. Georgia's cross country teams are back in action Friday at the Seminole Invite in Tallahassee, Fla.
For Reynaga, this fall has already been one of new experiences. He went to his first Georgia football game when the Bulldogs opener their season against Marshall.
"It was unbelievable," he said. "There were so many people there. I kind of understand some of the rules, but it was enjoyable at the same time."
As he showed by getting on a plane and embarking on his college journey, Reynaga isn't afraid to venture into the unknown. Once his collegiate running days are done, he's hoping to run professionally.
"I would just keep working day by day, focusing on small details and just giving all my best," he said. "Coming here, I saw an opportunity to be with my coach again and to be able to train with the team. I think I can really grow and progress. I know it's hard to be a professional, but we'll see how it goes."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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