Five Freshmen Bring International, Cross-Country Flair to Florida
Five new freshmen have landed in Gainesville this fall on the Gators cross country roster. Two international students, two out-of-state students and a Florida native make up the squad.
The Gators women’s team has three newcomers. The trio made their debut at the Stan Sims Cross Country Opener earlier this month. At the meet, Maggie McCormick finished first out of the Florida freshmen with a time of 18:04.2 (5K). Jazlyn Forbes was the next freshman to cross the line in 18:14.8. Mary Nesmith clawed to a 18:36.7 finish.
McCormick comes to the Gators from Brightwaters, New York. She had a high school personal record of 17:37.40 (5K), which she ran at her senior year state championship meet, earning her the fifth place finish. She steadily improved every year of her high school career, knocking off over a minute from her 18:46.50 junior best to her senior year personal record.
McCormick broke the 18-minute 5K barrier three times over the course of her senior year. She won the New York Gatorade Player of the Year award for Girl’s Track and Field during the 2025-2026 season. McCormick announced her verbal commitment to Florida in October 2025.
She’s already been a strong addition to the team and is a runner who races strategically, managing her load to peak at the end of the season.
Forbes, a Cape Coral, Florida, native, is another new face on the roster this season. Forbes attended Oasis High School with a student population of just under 900. Jumping to a large SEC school with over 40,000 undergraduate students is an exciting change for her.
“My high school was really small,” Forbes said. “The facilities at Florida are phenomenal.”
She has a 17:02.44 (5K) personal best from her senior year of high school. Forbes ran at least nine cross country races every year throughout her high school career and makes sure to prioritize her physical health so that she can compete to the best of her ability. She holds the cross country 5K record at Oasis, as well as the 800-meter, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter track records. Her decision to join the Florida cross country program wasn’t solely rooted in the state of the art facilities.
“The team culture and the coaches really stood out to me,” Forbes said. “The girls and the guys on the team are super motivational. On the coaching side, they care for you not only as a runner, but as an individual person.”
Forbes remains humble and wants to see her team succeed as a whole. She is excited for her Gators career and optimistic about the season for the women’s slate.
“We have some pretty good races coming up this season,” Forbes said. “We have some good challenges, but I know as a team, we can definitely conquer them.”
The last freshman addition to the women’s team this season is Mary Nesmith, who debuted this season with a little taste of home, racing the Stan Sims Cross Country Opener in her home state. Nesmith is from Marietta, Georgia, just about 20 miles outside of Atlanta, and holds a 17:34.27 (5K) cross country personal best.
On the track, she secured the state titles in the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter races in 2023, 2024 and 2026. Nesmith had a standout senior track season, closing it out with a first-place finish in the one mile run at the HOKA Festival of Miles in 4:42.95.
Flipping to the men’s side, the team inked two international freshmen on the roster this season. Both athletes have yet to make their Florida debuts.
Mohammad El Moussalit is a Morocco native who competed at the World Athletics U20 Championships this past track season in the spring alongside sophomore Gator Claire Stegall. He finished fourth in the 1,500-meter race with a time of 3:41.09. El Moussalit has a 800-meter personal record of 1:49 and a 3,000-meter personal record of 8:17.
The newcomer list is completed with Eliud Muchiri. From Nyandarua, Kenya, Muchiri is the brother of Team Kenya Olympic runner Bedan Karoki. His personal best in the 5K is 13:42.94 and his 10K best is 27:41.97. His 10K personal record is the fastest among any runner on the Gators men’s squad.
Florida cross country will race again Saturday at the John McNichols Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana, at the NCAA Championship site. The women will take the course at 8:30 a.m. and the men will follow at 9:05 a.m. ET.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Cross Country
