If you’ve ever spent a dusty Tuesday afternoon at Legg Lake or navigated the steep, unforgiving switchbacks of the Walnut course at Mt. SAC, you already know the name. La Serna cross country isn't just another high school sports program in Whittier; it’s basically a local institution. People see the jerseys—that distinct blue and white—and they just expect a podium finish. But honestly, building a program that stays relevant for decades isn't about some secret training hack or expensive equipment. It’s about a culture that most schools struggle to replicate.
The Lancers have spent years dominating the Del Rio League. It's almost rhythmic. Year after year, the boys and girls teams show up and execute. But 2024 and 2025 have been particularly interesting because the competition in the CIF Southern Division has shifted. It’s gotten faster. Yet, La Serna stays right there in the mix.
The Del Rio League Dominance
You can't talk about La Serna without looking at their stranglehold on the local circuit. It’s kind of ridiculous when you look at the stats over the last ten years. While schools like California High or El Rancho put up a fight, La Serna usually finds a way to pack their runners together. That's the key. In cross country, having one superstar is great, but having a "pack" of five runners finishing within thirty seconds of each other is how you actually win championships.
Coach Joseph herrera and the staff have leaned heavily into this "pack" mentality. If you watch a race at the Central Park course in Santa Clarita, you’ll see it. The Lancers don't always have the guy in first place, but they almost always have four or five guys in the top fifteen. That math is hard to beat.
Historically, the girls' program has been equally formidable. Look back at the era of runners like Maddie Franco or the more recent surges in talent; the consistency is wild. They don't just win; they create a gap between themselves and the rest of the league that feels almost psychological. By the time the starting gun goes off at the league finals, most opponents are already racing for second place.
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The "Hell Hill" and the Training Philosophy
What makes them fast? It’s the dirt.
Whittier isn't exactly a mountain retreat, but the hills behind the school and the trails at Hellman Park offer some of the most brutal training grounds in Los Angeles County. If you've ever hiked up to the water tower, you know the incline. The La Serna cross country kids run that stuff in the heat of August. It builds a specific kind of leg strength that pays off during the third mile of a race when everyone else is hitting the wall.
Training here isn't just about "running more miles." It’s about intensity. Most people think more is better, but the Lancers focus on "threshold" runs. Basically, they run at a pace that is uncomfortable but sustainable. Over months, that "uncomfortable" pace becomes their cruising speed. It’s why you see them looking relatively fresh when they hit the final straightaway at the CIF Prelims.
Why La Serna Cross Country Matters Beyond the Medals
Honestly, the social aspect is probably why the roster stays so big. Most high school sports struggle to get kids to show up for 6:00 AM practices in the middle of winter. La Serna doesn't have that problem. They have a "family" vibe that sounds cliché until you see eighty kids wearing the same sweatshirt at a pasta dinner the night before a big invite.
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- Tradition: Alumni come back. You’ll see former runners from the 90s and 2000s standing on the sidelines at the Woodbridge Invitational.
- The Bridge: The transition from the middle school programs in Whittier to La Serna is a well-oiled machine.
- The Mental Game: They talk a lot about "digging deep." In a sport that is basically a contest of who can handle the most pain for fifteen to twenty minutes, that mental prep is everything.
Navigating the CIF Southern Section
The Southern Section is arguably the hardest place in the country to run cross country. You aren't just racing the school down the street; you're racing powerhouse programs from Orange County and the Inland Empire. La Serna has historically hovered in Division 1 or Division 2, which is essentially the "Group of Death."
To qualify for the State Meet in Fresno, everything has to go right. One twisted ankle or a bad case of nerves can ruin a season. In recent years, the Lancers have had to fight for every inch. They’ve had seasons where they were ranked in the top ten of the division for months, only to have a narrow miss at the CIF Finals. It’s a game of seconds. Literally. Sometimes three seconds across five runners is the difference between going to Fresno and turning in your uniform.
Addressing the Misconceptions
People think La Serna is just "naturally" good at distance running. That's a myth. There is no "running gene" specific to the 605 freeway. The truth is that the program survives because of the summer miles. While other kids are at the beach or sleeping in, these athletes are hitting 40, 50, or 60 miles a week in July. By the time the first meet rolls around in September, they already have a 400-mile base in their legs.
Another misconception is that the program only cares about the varsity stars. If you look at the results from the Woodbridge Invitational—one of the biggest meets in the world—La Serna’s freshman and sophomore teams are usually deep. They build from the bottom up. They know that a fast freshman today is the league champion two years from now.
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What to Expect if You Join or Follow the Team
If you're a parent or a student looking at the program, be ready for a culture shock. It's intense. But it's also one of the few places where the "benchwarmers" work just as hard as the starters.
- The Woodbridge Invite: This is the highlight of the early season. Racing under the lights on a flat, fast course. Expect personal records (PRs) to drop like crazy here.
- Mt. SAC: The polar opposite of Woodbridge. It’s dusty, hilly, and miserable. But it’s where legends are made. If you can run a fast time on the "Poop Out Hill" stretch, you can run anywhere.
- The Banquet: It’s a big deal. The awards aren't just for the fastest; they're for the "most improved" and the "toughest."
Looking Ahead: The 2025-2026 Outlook
The landscape of California distance running is changing. More kids are breaking 15 minutes for the three-mile than ever before. For La Serna cross country to stay on top, they’ve had to modernize. They’re using more data now—tracking heart rates, focusing on recovery, and being smarter about "peaking" at the right time.
The goal remains the same: win the Del Rio League, make a deep run in the CIF Southern Section, and get jerseys on the line at Woodward Park for the State Championship. It’s a tall order every year, but history suggests they’ll be right there in the lead pack.
Actionable Steps for Aspiring Lancer Runners
If you want to be part of this legacy or just improve your own running to a Lancer level, you have to change your approach to the "off-season." There is no off-season.
- Start Your Base Early: Don't wait for the first day of school. The season is won in June and July. Aim for consistent, easy miles to build aerobic capacity.
- Focus on Strength: Lunges, planks, and core work are non-negotiable. Hill repeats are your best friend. They are "speed work in disguise."
- Watch the Results: Follow the team on sites like PrepCalTrack or MileSplit. Study the times. If you want to be varsity, look at what the 5th man ran last year. That’s your target.
- The Mental Shift: Stop thinking of running as a hobby and start thinking of it as a discipline. The Lancers succeed because they treat every practice like a business trip.
The road to the podium is usually uphill, dusty, and hot. But for those wearing the La Serna singlet, that's exactly where they feel at home.