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- Hometown:
- Atlantic, Iowa
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- Year:
- Sr.
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- High School:
- Atlantic
Bio
Honors & Awards
- One-time USTFCCCA All-Academic (2025)
- Three-time A-R-C All-Academic (2023, 24, 25)
- Four-time letterwinner (2022, 23, 24, 25)
2024 | junior
- Competed in three races
- Recorded a season-high ninth place finish at the Bill Buxton Invitational
- Ran a season-best 8K time of 26:32.7 at the A-R-C Championships
2023 | sophomore
- Finished in the top seven on the team in four of six races
- Lowered his 6k time by over two minutes with a time of 19:56.1 at the season-opening Bill Buxton Invite
- Set a new career-best in the 8k at the NCAA Midwest Regional in a time of 26:37.4
2022 | freshman
- Saw action in four races
- Made his debut in the 6k at the Bill Buxton Invite, clocking a time of 22:02.7
High School
- A 2022 graduate of Atlantic High School
- 2x individual cross country state qualifier (2019, 2021)
- Earned letters in cross country (3), track (2) and swimming (2)
- Member of National Honor Society
- Academic letterwinner
Personal
- Parents are Rob and Teresa
- Has four siblings, Haley, Olivia, Thomas and Gabrielle
- Majoring in biology with a minor in honors
- Also a member of the Storm track and field team
News Mentions
Leggett and Johnson pace Storm for seventh place finish at NCAA Regionals
Led by Cole Leggett and James Johnson’s top-30 performances, the Simpson men’s cross country team took seventh overall at the NCAA...
November 15, 2025
Johnson and Leggett earn All-Conference; lead Simpson to fourth at A-R-C Championships
With top-20 finishes, James Johnson, and Cole Leggett were named A-R-C All-Conference performers, leading the Storm to a fourth place finish at...
November 1, 2025
Engler guides Storm to fifth place finish at Bradley Pink Classic
As the season moves forward, Drew Engler continues to impress, setting a new personal record and leading Simpson to a fifth place finish at the...
October 17, 2025
Storm come up big at Dan Huston Invitational
The Simpson men’s cross country refused to slow down, racing a second place finish, including wins over four regionally ranked opponents, at...
October 4, 2025
Johnson's second straight title powers Storm to second place finish
For a second straight meet, there was no one faster than James Johnson. The sophomore claimed his second individual title of 2025 as Simpson...
September 26, 2025
Johnson claims individual title, Storm take second at Les Duke Invite
Nobody could catch the sophomore as James Johnson won the Les Duke Invitational on Saturday, outpacing the second place finisher by nearly seven...
September 13, 2025
Johnson paces Simpson to first place at the Bill Buxton Invitational
Shaving over a minute off his time from last year, James Johnson led Simpson to a title at the Bill Buxton Invitational to start the 2025 cross...
August 29, 2025
Men's cross country tabbed seventh in preseason coaches regional poll
For the fourth straight year, the Simpson College men’s cross country team enters the season ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross...
August 26, 2025
