Curtis back home to bulk up U. Va. basketball
By Jeff White
Published: May 16, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE Long before he became men's basketball coach at the University of Virginia, Tony Bennett heard good things about Mike Curtis.

Bennett's father, Dick, a revered former coach, spoke at a clinic at the University of Michigan last year. So did Curtis, the Wolverines' director of strength and conditioning for all sports except football and hockey.

Dick Bennett was so "enthralled" by Curtis' presentation, his son recalled Thursday, that he urged Tony, then at Washington State, to send his strength-and-conditioning coach to Michigan to observe Curtis' methods.

"So then when I got the job here, and there was an opportunity to bring in a strength coach," Tony Bennett said, Curtis was a natural choice.

"Forget about his ties to U.Va. I just knew he was one of the best in the business."

Those ties, though, are what made the job so appealing to Curtis, who this week was named the strength-and-conditioning coach for men's basketball at U.Va. He replaces his friend Shaun Brown, who left after Dave Leitao stepped down as the Cavaliers' coach in March.

"It was bittersweet in leaving [Michigan], but there's no place like home," said Curtis, 33.

A Manchester High graduate whose parents still live in Chesterfield County, Curtis has two degrees from Virginia. He came to U.Va. as a walk-on in 1994, and the team's seniors his first year included Jason Williford (John Marshall High) and Yuri Barnes (Manchester).

By his senior year, Curtis had been put on scholarship by coach Jeff Jones and named a team captain. Jones is now at American University, where his assistants in 2008-09 included Williford. Bennett hired Williford as an assistant last month.

"I talked to Jeff Jones about Jason, and for some reason Mike Curtis' name came up," Bennett said. "Jeff just said, 'He's out of the park.' "

Williford recommended Curtis to Bennett, too. And not long after Williford returned to U.Va., he called Curtis to see if he'd be interested in coming home.

"Just the opportunity to be part of that family again was once again something I couldn't turn down," Curtis said.

After receiving his master's in exercise physiology from U.Va. in 2000, Curtis spent a year at the University of Dayton, where he was director for strength and conditioning for the Olympic sports. He moved to the University of South Carolina in 2001-02 to work for basketball coach Dave Odom, a former U.Va. assistant.

In 2002, at the age of 26, Curtis became the head strength-and-conditioning coach for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, a position he held for six seasons.

"It's extraordinary," Odom said in 2002 of Curtis' meteoric rise in his profession.

For that, Curtis credits his alma mater.

"Being around people like [athletic trainer] Ethan Saliba and some other people who were mentors of mine academically, those were the people who prepared me to be on that fast track," Curtis said. "I owe it all to them, because the University of Virginia made me who am I."

His new office is in John Paul Jones Arena. Unlike most people at the university, Curtis actually knows the man for whom the building is named. During his time with the Grizzlies, Curtis became friends with Jones, who lives in Memphis.

"He sat center court at all the games," Curtis said. "He was fun to be around and had invited me on numerous occasions to try to get back with him and see the arena. I just never had an opportunity to."

He'll see the arena every day now. He'll also be able to see Garland and Shelia Curtis regularly.

"They're the best parents anyone could possibly have," Curtis said, "and I'm just happy that I'm able to give them this gift to get back closer to them, because the last seven, eight years, with the NBA and now being at Michigan, I've been a long way away, and it's been hard to get back home. So this is a blessing for me to be this close to them."






Cavaliers Face Johns Hopkins Once Again in NCAAs
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com

Garrett Billings led the way with 4 goals and 4 assists in the first meeting with Johns Hopkins earlier this season.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—Most sports fans like high-scoring back-and-forth contests that aren’t decided until the very end. Witness Virginia’s first game against Johns Hopkins earlier this season when the Cavaliers bolted out to a big lead, relinquished it, and then posted a 16-15 victory late.

As these two teams prepare for their quarterfinal match-up Sunday in Annapolis, the stakes are much higher than during the regular season with a berth in the national semifinals on the line. While neither team is looking that far ahead, it’s unlikely this game will match the earlier one for scoring.

“My guess is that the way these games usually play out is the second time around against these good teams the games are played a little closer to the vest,” said Virginia head coach Dom Starsia. “I think Hopkins will work harder to try to control the tempo of the game if they can.”

In the first meeting this season Virginia won 17 of 21 faceoffs in the first half and gobbled up nearly three times as many ground balls as the Blue Jays (17-6) on the way to building a 12-6 lead late in the first half.

The roles switched in the third quarter as the homestanding Blue Jays dominated faceoffs and ground balls to roar back and take a one-goal lead into the fourth quarter.

“If you want to play 16-15 then both teams have to cooperate,” Starsia said. “Hopkins cooperated the last time because they were behind, so they were sort of reluctant participants the last time around.”

Given the stakes, Starsia believes such a high scoring affair is unlikely despite the fact that Johns Hopkins has some tremendous offensive weapons.

“I think we forced their hand a little bit the last time offensively and I see a team now that is a little more comfortable in their skin especially offensively,” he said. “(Midfielder) Brian Christopher has made some awfully big plays for them. They sort of know who they are right now offensively and where they’re going to go to create offense. The question is going to be whether or not we’re going to be good enough to stop them.”

Christopher hit the game-winning shot in overtime last week against Brown to propel the Blue Jays into the quarterfinals. He and attackman Chris Boland have each scored 28 goals, second on the team; Boland notched six goals in the first game against the Cavaliers. Attackman Kyle Wharton leads the way with 33 goals.

During their seven-game winning streak the 10-4 Blue Jays have reached double digits every time.

Unlike the Blue Jays, the Cavaliers did not have to sweat out last week’s first round game against Villanova. They jumped to a 9-0 bulge after one quarter and gained a convincing 18-6 win that enabled them to regain some confidence after a tough three-week stretch to end the regular season.

“It really is a simple game when you’re playing your best lacrosse; that’s what’s most important,” said senior attackman Danny Glading. “We got our confidence back (last week) by playing hard. The preparation we put into these games is going to carry the day for us so that’s really what we’re focusing on right now.”

Much of the preparation has been to replicate the things they did well in the first game.

“In a game like this I think we have a chance to win the ground ball game decisively, the combination of faceoffs and winning balls,” Starsia said. “If we can do that then we have a chance to dictate the tempo a little bit. They hurt us away from the ball the last time that we played so we need to be sharp on defense. If we can win the ground ball battle, possess the ball and win that time of possession game, then I think we have a chance to create good opportunities. I feel like we’re playing pretty well offensively right now and that will increase our chances to score.”

Knowing that they have done all those things this season gives the Cavaliers reason for optimism, but it’s no guarantee it will happen again.

“It’s a little bit of a mental advantage but at the end of the day you still have to go out and play the game,” said midfielder Max Pomper. “That’s what’s so great about sports. We’re looking forward to going out there and seeing what they have and putting our best foot forward.”






An interested observer
By Whitey Reid
Published: May 16, 2009

Former Virginia lacrosse player Matt Ward finished his college career on the highest of notes. In 2006, he helped lead UVa to one of the best seasons in the sport’s history. The Cavaliers went undefeated and won the NCAA championship.

That season, Ward won the Tewaaraton Trophy, which is awarded to the top player in the country. After graduating with a degree in commerce, Ward elected to bypass law school in favor of a career at ESPN. On Thursday, the Falls Church native chatted with beat writer Whitelaw Reid of The Daily Progress.

DP: So what have you been doing for ESPN?

MW: I work full-time in the sales and marketing division, and during lacrosse season, I double as an on-air [television] analyst for college lacrosse games.

DP: Will you be working the Virginia-Johns Hopkins game on Sunday?

MW: No. They try and keep me away from Virginia games (laughs). I try my best to be as objective as possible, but with Virginia it’s not really possible. It’s tough to do those games.

DP: What’s it been like for you since leaving Virginia — how have you kept yourself busy and what’s the transition been like to the “real world”?

MW: I think the moment that you leave grounds in Charlottesville, it strikes you that the best time of your life is maybe beyond you. It was such a great experience meeting all the people that I did there. The school and surroundings — which are unlike any other in the country — really helped shape me as an individual. It’s something that I’ve obviously missed. I talked to a couple of people who’ve been out a couple of years. They said, ‘Give it a couple of years.’ Well, I have and I’m still not over it!

But life goes on and my day-to-day job has been at ESPN, so I get to stick around sports, which is a great thing for me. When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it and have just been loving life and trying to learn as much about this industry as I can.

DP: So what happened with your original plans to go to law school?

MW: My heart wasn’t 100 percent into the idea. My sister, who’s a lawyer, said that if you’re not 150 percent into law school, it’s not worth it. At that point, I looked into some things that I wanted to do. I did commercial real estate for a year, but then the ESPN opportunity opened up. It’s been two years now that I’ve been at the Worldwide Leader and I love every moment of it.

DP: What’s the latest with your playing career?

MW: I was with Washington for my first three years, but then when the league contracted down to six [teams], I got moved up to Long Island. I play my first game for the Lizards [tonight].

DP: It’s been a few years since that amazing senior year that you had. Have you had a chance to reflect on just how special it was — going undefeated and dominating everyone the way you guys did?

MW: You couldn’t have asked for a better senior year. We had 13 seniors and everyone contributed as much as everyone else. The players that I was around — the more that I look at, the more I realize I was a product of the great players I was playing with. When you have guys who do all the little things the right way, it makes your life a lot easier.

DP: Looking at Virginia this season, as impartially as you can, do you think they can make a run and win it all? What’s your take?

MW: I definitely think they have a chance. You look at the athleticism that they put all over the field — I don’t know if there’s any other team in the country that can run with them. … I think Duke has a blueprint of how to match up with Virginia. Virginia is going to have to make some adjustments if they wind up playing Duke or whoever. I think they’re going to need to play a little better team defense if they’re going to make that run.

DP: What’s your prediction for the championship game?

MW: I have Syracuse and UVa in the bracket that I filled out and I think that game could go either way. Obviously, I’m rooting for Virginia, but I think it’s anyone’s tournament. I think Maryland could beat Syracuse, Hopkins could beat Virginia. Cornell-Princeton, who knows? And then you have Duke and UNC playing for a third time.

DP: So when do you get to film your first ESPN commercial with like Stuart Scott or somebody?

MW: It’s in the works (laughs). I’m trying pretty hard to get that. We’ll see.






Cavalier Golfers Keep Up Strong Play at NCAA Regional
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/15/2009

Galloway, NJ – The Virginia men’s golf team enters Saturday’s final round of play at the NCAA East Regional Championship in third place. The Cavaliers will need a top-five finish in the 14-team field to advance to the NCAA Championships. UVa used another solid day of play to keep its postseason hopes alive, shooting 7-over 291 at Galloway National Golf Club to finish the first 36 holes at 589. UVa’s second round score was seven shots better than its opening-round 298.

With conditions less windy than the teams faced in Thursday’s opening round, the field managed to produce better scoring across the board. Virginia’s Kyle Stough and Ben Kohles finished the day tied for fifth at 3-over 145. They are just three shots behind leader John Hahn of Kent State who used a 67 to move into first place at 142.

Kohles, a freshman, posted Virginia’s best round, shooting even par 71. Stough shot 73, the same as senior teammate Conrad Von Borsig, who is 16th overall. Will Collins and Bruch Woodall both finished with 74s. Collins is in 25th place at 9-over 151 and Woodall moved up to 62nd at 161.

Kohles was remarkably consistent during his round that included 14 pars to go with a pair of birdies and bogeys. Only six players managed to shoot under-par during the second round after no players could accomplish that feat on the first day of competition.

Virginia managed to stay near the top of the leaderboard in part because of its improved play over the course’s final four holes. During the first round the Virginia players combined to shoot 13-over on that portion of the course. Friday the Cavaliers navigated the same stretch at just 1-over.

Tennessee, ranked No. 20, finished the second round with a five-stroke lead at 583. Alabama, ranked 10th, is second at 588, one shot ahead of Virginia. No. 27 Wake Forest dropped back to fourth at 594 and No. 15 Illinois is in fifth place at 595. Colorado State stands sixth at 599. Clemson the region’s top seed and third-ranked team in the nation, could not make up any ground after a poor start and is in ninth place at 609.

The Cavaliers will tee off starting at 9:40 a.m. Saturday. Live scoring is online at Golfstat.com.

In addition to the East Regional, there are five other regional sites that will fill the field for the NCAA Championships.

NCAA East Regional Championship
Galloway National Golf Club
Galloway, NJ
Par-71, 7,022 yards
Second Round Results

Team Results
1. Tennessee (20) 296-287-583
2. Alabama (10) 303-285-588
3. Virginia 298-291-589
4. Wake Forest (27) 297-297-594
5. Illinois (15) 307-288-595
6. Colorado State (34) 311-290-599
7. Kent State (39) 312-289-601
8. Minnesota 314-293-607
9. Clemson (3) 310-299-609
10. Penn State 319-301-620
11. VCU 315-306-621
12. Coastal Carolina (47) 319-303-622
13. Sacred Heart 322-311-633
14. Columbia 355-317-672
Number in parenthesis is Golfstat ranking

Individual Leaders
1. John Hahn, Kent State 75-67-142
2. Darren Renwick Tennessee 71-72-143
2. Dan Woltman, Wisconsin 74-69-143
4. Kyle Stanley, Clemson 72-72-144
5. Hunter Hamrick, Alabama 74-71-145
5. Ben Kohles, Virginia 74-71-145
5. Scott Langley, Illinois 74-71-145
5. Kyle Stough, Virginia 72-73-145
9. Zach Barlow, Illinois 78-68-146
9. Bud Cauley, Alabama 79-67-146
9. Brendan Gielow, Wake Forest 73-73-146
9. David Holmes, Tennessee 73-73-146

Virginia
5. Ben Kohles 74-71-145
5. Kyle Stough 72-73-145
16. Conrad Von Borsig 75-73-148
25. Will Collins 77-74-151
62. Bruce Woodall 87-74-161







Streak over, Zimmerman still draws praise in D.C.
Posted to: National Sports Sports
By Ed Miller
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 16, 2009
WASHINGTON

The streak didn't burden Ryan Zimmerman. It wasn't until the final at-bat of his recently-ended 30-game hitting tear that the Washington Nationals' third baseman from Virginia Beach felt a tinge of pressure.

Not to extend the streak for himself, but for everyone else.

"It got to the point where I wanted to do it for other people, not me," he said Friday. "Other people had more fun with it than I did."

Don't get him wrong. Zimmerman had fun stringing together the longest hitting streak in the major leagues in two years. He didn't do it by dropping in bloop hits or legging out grounders, either.

"The guy was having quality at-bats day in and day out and smoking the ball," Nationals manager Manny Acta said.

The streak ended Wednesday, when Zimmerman went 0 for 3 with two walks at San Francisco.

The timing was unfortunate, but typical, for the Nationals, the worst team in baseball. They began an 11-game home stand Friday and were hoping to bring the streak and its accompanying buzz home to a city that has yet to embrace the young franchise.

Attendance is down 35 percent this year, the largest drop in baseball.

"I think we jinxed it," Acta said. "We were dying for him to get a hit that last day."

Zimmerman was burning, too, but not outwardly. That's not his style. In a 12-minute news conference Friday, he rarely changed expressions. He strives to bring the same poker-faced, even-keeled approach to the field over 162 games.

So far, so good. Even before going 3 for 6 in a 10-6 loss to Philadelphia on Friday, Zimmerman, 24, was hitting .357 and leading the National League in hits, total bases, extra base hits and multi-hit games. During his 30-game tear, he hit .382 with eight home runs and 26 RBIs.

It was a virtuoso performance on an off-key team. Zimmerman raised his team's profile, and its long-term hopes, without raising his voice.

"He's always the same guy," teammate Wil Nieves said. "He's not one of those roller coaster guys who's happy when he's doing good and mad when he's doing bad."

Zimmerman's always strived to be the same guy every day. In the past, though, when things didn't go his way, he'd question his approach, and routine. Not this year, he said.

"Now, I'm trusting my plan and staying with the things I do well."

It's a long list. In his fourth full year in the majors, Zimmerman has begun to figure out which pitches he handles well and which he doesn't. He's hitting the ball to the opposite field more, with power. He's also hitting off-speed pitches better.

All this, in addition to wielding one of the game's best gloves at third.

Credit Zimmerman's blossoming to experience, as well as a healthy left shoulder and a clear mind. After driving in 110 runs in 2006 and 91 in 2007, Zimmerman missed 56 games with a shoulder tear last year.

Healthy at last, he began getting his stroke back late in the season. Last month, he eliminated any lingering distractions by signing a five-year, $45 million deal that ended two years of on-again/off-again contract negotiations.

"Not that I was ever worried about it, but it makes me feel a little more comfortable not for me, but for my family," he said.

Zimmerman's not the worrying type. If he were, he might bend under the pressure of all the hopes being pinned on him. His streak was the biggest thing to happen to the Nationals in the franchise's brief history.

"It was very significant for us, the fact that it was followed on the national level," Acta said. "Plus, we started to play better baseball."

That's what it's all about, Zimmerman said. He's signed in Washington through 2013 and hopes the streak and everything that came with it provided a taste of success that whetted the team's appetite for more.

"Anytime that the team with the worst record is the lead on SportsCenter every night I think it's kind of fun," he said. "Not only for me but for the rest of the guys to see what happens when we do something good."







Hokies clinch series
By Jay Jenkins
Published: May 16, 2009

BLACKSBURG — Just prior to Friday’s game, Virginia Tech’s baseball team was mathematically eliminated from playing in the ACC tournament.

Apparently, the message never reached the Hokie dugout.

Virginia Tech pounded out 14 singles and 15 hits in all to upset No. 10 Virginia 9-8 at English Field.

With the win, the Hokies (32-20, 12-16 ACC) claimed the series over the Cavaliers (38-12-1,15-11-1).

“It starts with starting pitching,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “You can’t fall behind 5-0 in the first two innings on the road and expect to win.

“When you pitch and play defense like we did, you have to have a spectacular day offensively to win.”

The Hokies, who were ousted from the postseason when Duke upset Georgia Tech earlier Friday, wasted little time jumping on Virginia starter Andrew Carraway. The right-handed pitcher allowed three runs in the opening frame as he labored, hurling 44 pitches.

“Andrew just didn’t have his best stuff today,” O’Connor said. “He was deep into his pitch count after two innings. You have to be better than that.”

Carraway (5-1), who also gave up two runs in the second, was eventually pulled after getting just one out in the third inning, making it the shortest start of his career.

The Cavaliers eventually scored three runs in the fourth, the last two of which came on back-to-back homers from Steven Proscia and John Hicks.

The deficit would not stay at two for long.

Virginia Tech plated four runs to take a 9-3 lead in the bottom-half of the inning off Virginia relievers Neal Davis and Robert Poutier.

The Cavaliers added two runs in the sixth inning, chasing Virginia Tech starter Justin Wright (7-2), but left two runners stranded in scoring position.

As was the case in Thursday’s 5-4 loss for Virginia, it was a recurring theme in a game that nearly lasted four hours.

Virginia left the bases loaded in the fifth and stranded another pair in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, respectively, and went 6 for 22 with runners on base.

For the game, the Cavaliers left 13 runners on base.

Virginia did have a chance to mount its last rally in the ninth, but with runners at first and second, second baseman Phil Gosselin flied out to left-center field off submarine-style reilever Ben Mowen.

“He was not throwing very hard so he was not much help on hitting it that far. I just got under it too much,” Gosselin said. “It is frustrating as hell, but we have a chance to come back and win [today] and carry that momentum onto the ACC tournament.”

Virginia will look to sophomore RHP Robert Morey (2-0) today to salvage a game in the series. The contest is slated to start at 1 p.m.





Taylor's lack of experience easy to document
UVa's spread offense not a great departure
By Doug Doughty

Virginia Tech’s decision last week to take football commitments from two junior quarterbacks had me wondering if there is any chance that the Hokies’ Tyrod Taylor will turn pro after the 2009 season.

“None,” I was told emphatically by somebody who would know.

I’m not saying that Taylor will be NFL-ready after the 2009 season, but he will be a junior. Remember, ex-Hokie great Michael Vick was in college for only three years and actually played two seasons (he was redshirted in 1997).

Vick was the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, so, clearly he was viewed as a can’t-miss talent. Whether he was mature enough to go into the real world is another matter, particularly given his subsequent legal problems.

People make ill-advised decisions to turn pro all the time. Virginia wide receiver Kevin Ogletree immediately comes to mind. Ogletree elected to pass up his fourth season after registering a team-high 58 receptions, then went undrafted last month.

I’m told that Taylor receives the kind of guidance from his parents that would prevent him from making a hasty decision. Moreover, as talented as he is, he isn’t ready for the next level.

“He’s the least-repped quarterback out there,” Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring told me last week.

When I called him today, Stinespring said he wasn’t prepared to say that Taylor is the least-repped quarterback “in the country.” Every team in the country has quarterbacks – even scholarship quarterbacks – who get almost no repetititions.

“And Tyrod’s gotten a lot more lately,” he said.

What Stinespring meant was that few quarterbacks of Taylor’s stature could have had fewer “reps,” although Stinespring doesn’t pretend to have researched the subject exhaustively.

BY “REPS,” STINESPRING was referring to snaps taken in games and snaps taken in practice. He might not have been counting Taylor’s appearance in Tech’s recent spring game, where he took snaps but was not approved for contact.

Nagged by injuries throughout his first two seasons, Taylor has played in 23 of 28 games, starting 15 times. He has thrown 317 passes and had 249 rushing attempts.

So, that’s 566 plays in which Taylor has been directly involved.

Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner had almost that many plays last year, when he attempted 363 passes and had 104 runs. For his college career,l Skinner has had 1,166 combined passes and runs – more than double Taylor’s total.

Of course, Skinner is a rising fifth-year senior who has been a starter for virtually three years. A more apt comparison would be with Virginia’s Jameel Sewell, a fifth-year senior who has missed all of two seasons, one as a redshirt and the other while on academic suspension.

Sewell, who probably won’t begin the season as Virginia’s starter, has taken part in 832 plays (611 passes, 221 runs). Keep in mind, when Sewell played, he was taking all of the snaps.

Even Marc Verica, an emergency starter after Peter Lalich was dismissed from the team, had 386 plays in total offense last year. Compare that to 320 for Taylor.

THAT’S NOT TO IMPLY that anybody would take Sewell or Verica over Taylor. Experience is one thing. Talent is another. Besides, if the season started tomorrow, Vic Hall probably would start ahead of Sewell and Verica.

Clearly, the bigger issue for Tech is depth, one reason they did not hesitate take two junior quarterbacks, Ricardo Young from Washington, D.C., and Mark Leal from Delray Beach, Fla.

(Incidentally, all of the stories on Tech’s Del Ray Beach connection did not include a fourth Atlantic High School product, David Clowney. Add him to a list that includes Leal, Brandon Flowers and Jayron Hosley).

But, back to the quarterbacks.

“Name me another Division I-A team going into the season with two scholarship quarterbacks,” Stinespring challenged me.

He was referring to Taylor and redshirt freshman Ju Ju Clayton, who won the back-up’s job during the postseason. But, that was only after Marcus Davis returned to wide receiver.

If anything happens to Taylor, either Davis and tight end Greg Boone probably would get some practice reps, and Boone almost certainly will take snaps in games as part of Tech’s Wild Turkey formation.

Davis is still listed at quarterback on Tech’s athletic website but that’s probably a clerical matter. The only other quarterbacks on the roster are Jeff Beyer, a fifth-year senior from Woodson High School in Fairfax, and Nelson County’s Bryan Saunders, a fellow walk-on who is listed as a combination punter and quarterback.

IN THE WAR ROOM column that he writes for CavsCorner.com, Jamie Oakes speculated Friday that Virginia is prepared to take two quarterbacks in its 2010 signingclass.

The Cavaliers have a pair of fifth-year senior quarterbacks in Sewell and Hall, but they also have three scholarship quarterbacks who will be eligible to return in 2010, four if you count recruit Quintin Hunter, signed as an “athlete” out of Orange County.

Verica will be a senior in 2010, Rico Smalls will be a sophomore and Ross Metheny will be a redshirt freshman, in all likelihood.

The possibility that Virginia will take two quarterbacks stems from the arrival of new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon, a spread advocate, which reminds me of something head coach Al Groh said Wednesday during a speech at the Roanoke Country Club.

“This is not like the tooth fairy coming,” Groh said. “All the spread offense is anymore is a formation. In reality, we were in the spread nearly 65 percent of the time the last three years anyway.”