And so it comes down to this.
For a season that saw the dedication of early September runs through the foothills of Mammoth Lakes; the tireless routine of morning and afternoon two-a-days during the quarter; the loss of standout runners and the rise of strong freshmen; and the experience gained from weekend meets, the men and women’s cross country teams will be defined by a matter of minutes, most likely no more than 25, on Saturday for the NCAA West Regionals in Palo Alto.