California Collegiate Athletics Association

Many student-athletes can say they impacted their team, and some even leave their mark on the program itself, but every once in a while, there is a student-athlete who comes along so skilled that they change the foundations of that program. That is precisely what Jen Serna did for Chico State in the early 2000s.
 
It is almost unimaginable now, but when Serna stepped onto the Chico State campus in 2002, the university had never won a CCAA Cross Country title. She helped lead the Wildcats to their first conference title as a freshman, earning her first of four All-CCAA honors in the sport. She would help guide Chico State to three consecutive conference titles and lay the foundations for the program, winning 16 of the next 18 CCAA Championships, including a streak of 12 straight years. Serna added the CCAA Individual Cross Country Championship to her list of accolades, having won the title in 2004 and been named the CCAA Runner of the Year.
 
Serna would pace Chico State to its first three NCAA West Regional titles and three appearances in the NCAA Championship. She helped guide the Wildcats to four top-6 finishes at NCAAs and was a two-time All-American.
 
Serna transferred her success on the trails to become one of the most successful steeplechase runners in conference history. She placed eighth at the NCAA Championships in the steeplechase as a sophomore, third as a junior, and fifth as a senior to earn three All-American honors. Serna set the Chico State steeplechase record in 2004, and it stood for nearly 10 years before falling in 2013.
 
Her success on the track would also be a turning point for the Chico State track & field program, which won its first three CCAA Championships with Serna helping lead the way. She won the steeplechase in 2004 and 2005, and the 3,000 meters in 2006.