By: Alex Madsen
A tall and lanky figure cuts through the frigid winter front like a dagger. The December gales almost deafen the constant pounding of his shoes slapping against the concrete. If the 20 miles per hour wind and freezing temperatures weren’t already cold enough, the teenager is attempting his nightly multi-mile run that begins when his basketball practice ends. The bitter winter frost and the mild squall don’t seem to bother him. Kaser Johnson is focused on building upon his already 300-mile base to complete his mission of bringing home Burke glory to Doniphan Trumbull.
Johnson grew up in an athletic family. His mother hadn’t run much in high school but took up marathons in her adulthood. Johnson recalls feeling a deep sense of pride and motivation seeing his mother take on the prestigious Chicago and Boston Marathons.
Despite continuing to dominate the Nebraska running scene, Johnson doesn’t neglect his other passions. He recalls participating in nearly every activity possible while growing up. In fact, up until his freshman year, basketball was his main sport. Cross country proved its worth to him by teaching a deep lesson in hard work, perseverance, and dedication.
Johnson tore his ACL just as he was beginning his freshman cross country season. He could have taken time off and recovered, but something inside of him told him to keep running. After clinching the district title on a torn ACL, the gritty freshman phenomenon was about to compete at state.
“I just wanted to go out there and perform,” Johnson said. “After actually placing at state, it surprised me a lot.”
This sense of accomplishment despite the austere pain caused something to boil over deep inside Johnson. He was now fixated on unlocking his full potential in the sport of running.
“I was hurt for a lot of my freshman cross country season. I recovered, made state, and performed well. That was when I decided to start taking training more seriously. I liked the feeling of winning,” Johnson said. “Once I started training more, the wins started coming in regularly. That’s when I decided that running was my sport.”
After skipping basketball season to recover from the ACL surgery, Johnson was eager to compete on the track. He was determined to bring back the same fire he had during cross country season.
“I pushed really hard at the start,” Johnson said. “Too hard. I suffered a stress fracture in my foot.”
Johnson had only competed in four meets before his track season was cut short due to injury. This would cost him the entirety of his freshman track season and would also cut into a hearty plate of summer training for cross country.
Johnson learned from his mistake of overexerting while coming back from an injury. Despite his past success, anxiety and uncertainty engulfed him. Still, his focus of staying healthy while still competing at his pinnacle paid off, as Johnson never finished out of the top three runners in every cross-country race he ran. In fact, Johnson brought home another cross-country medal in the second straight year after a blazing 16:25 time at state earned him bronze.
After a grand performance at state, Johnson was left unsatisfied when spring rolled around. He now had the assurance that he could compete on his highest level without the lingering fear of injury. Johnson dominated the 1600m and 3200m, never finishing lower than third in the regular season. Johnson made state in the two events after earning two golds at districts. He ran an electric 9:51 in the 3200m at state, earning him fourth place in a loaded Class C distance field.
Johnson had now accomplished nearly everything. Well, everything outside a state title. Heading into his junior year, Johnson could almost taste the gold. He completed his program’s training goal of at least 300 miles. In fact, Johnson ran more than 400 miles over the summer of 2025.
“Coach Corey Hatt is super including. Everyone has a spot on the team,” Johnson said. “He pushes me over the summer and in season. We talk over goals and where I want to be as a runner.”
During the fall, Johnson would find out the 400+ summer miles were definitely worth it. Following a silver finish in meet one, Johnson never lost another meet. Kaser dominated the courses with his teammates before winning yet another cross-country district final. This time at state, he decided anything less than gold was unsatisfactory. Johnson ran his own race and inevitably built up a momentous lead. After 15 minutes and 42 seconds of torture, Johnson won the Class C State Cross Country Championship.
“Winning it felt great. All the hard work paid off tenfold,” Johnson said. “I can’t thank my parents, coaches and teammates enough for helping me achieve this.”
Johnson credits his teammates and coaches for always pushing him to be his best inside and outside of practice. Johnson especially credits upperclassman friends and teammates Tice Yost and Jacob Zakrzewski.
“It’s a lot of fun to be part of a team where everyone is friends,” Johnson said. “It makes it more exciting and enjoyable to practice. It just makes running so much better.”
Johnson has his sights high for the next track season. He will once again compete in a generationally talented field of long-distance runners. He also never forgot his first love of basketball. Johnson still plays basketball despite being one of Nebraska’s most decorated young distance runners.
“No matter what, basketball will always be there,” Johnson said. “I love basketball and everything that comes with it.”
Johnson will be starting the search for a college home this year.
“It’s always been my dream to compete at the collegiate level in any sport,” Johnson said. “I can’t wait to see more of the world and meet new people.”
He doesn’t have a school in mind yet, but he knows that he is looking for a place with pretty scenery, good people, and some good running trails.
Johnson describes his hometown, family, friends, and school simply.
“Once we have a goal, we are all committed to it. We work together to reach it,” Johnson said. “It’s not just a school thing; it’s a community thing. We all work together to reach our goals.”
