His grip tightened around a pen. His foot scuffed across the hardwood court. His head dipped. And his lids slammed shut, clamped as if the scene would change when they reopened.

He couldn’t believe it.

The men and women of Western’s cross country team will compete in what could be their last race of the season Saturday at the Southeast District Championship in Greenville, N.C.

The only way to keep the season going is to qualify for the national championships, not a simple task.

A season slated with high expectations ended on a promising note for Western, despite losing 3-0 to No. 18 Denver on Thursday in the second round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Mobile, Ala.

Players and coaches said they are looking forward to next season, when they’ll return all but one player, senior forward Jenny Klingenberg.

OK, so you don’t show up to voice your disapproval of food services. You won’t rally to cry out against the parking travesty. And some days only 6,000 of you show up to support a nationally ranked football team in a stadium that holds 17,000.

Fine.