“I don’t believe Carlos would be here right now (without cycling),” said his wife, Coretta Rodriguez. “I don’t think that he would be alive today because prior to riding, nothing mattered really. It just seemed like he was existing.”

Rodriguez, who has lived in Hampton since December 2000, enrolled in the Marine Corps fresh out of high school and spent 10 years in the military before being medically discharged in 1995. That time in the service left him with more problems, issues and illnesses than he can count, including injuries to his back, knees, arms and shoulders, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“I was a mess,” he said.

For the past few years, he’s been showing others how cycling can save their lives, too. He often rides more than 10,000 miles a year, topping 20,000 in 2022, most of them on benefit rides for disabled veterans groups. Due to his painful injuries, he does it all on a recumbent bicycle, where the rider is reclined.

“My motivation now is to try to help other veterans and give them a better quality of life,” he said. “That’s what (cycling has) done for me.”

His next big ride is the Great Lakes Challenge, which starts Monday and runs through Aug. 24. It is organized by Project Hero, a nonprofit organization founded in 2008 that benefits veterans and first responders. The approximately 500-mile ride goes from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, to Madison, Wisconsin.

Rodriguez’s devotion to fellow disabled veterans has taken him from California to Puerto Rico and many places in between. For him, it’s a second calling.

“I got to do this,” he said.

Cycling gives him purpose

Rodriguez was injured in a Scud missile attack in Saudi Arabia in 1991 in the first Gulf War. In the first 15 years after he was discharged, he admittedly didn’t do much other than visit doctors and specialists to get diagnosis and treatment for his injuries and symptoms. He was a regular at the Hampton Veterans Administration Medical Center when one of his doctors suggested he go to Richmond for more intense treatment. That was around 2011.

“At that time, I was borderline diabetic, high cholesterol. You name it, I had it,” he said.

While in the military, Rodriguez, who stands 5 feet, 6 inches, weighed about 175 pounds. But he slowly got up to 307.

One of the doctors in Richmond was an endurance athlete who worked with an adaptive sports program and recommended their cycling program.

“She started me off on a handcycle because my legs were so bad,” he said. “At this time, I was also in a wheelchair.”

It wasn’t long before he transitioned to a recumbent bicycle, doing 6- to 10-mile rides in Richmond. A few years later, he was doing 15- to 20-mile rides. Twenty-mile rides turned into 30 miles, then 40 and eventually 50.

Meanwhile, Project Hero, a nonprofit based in California, was organizing rides across the country to benefit veterans. Rodriguez and two therapists from Richmond helped create a Project Hero hub in Richmond, a first for the organization.

Once other hubs got started around the country, the idea of weeklong “challenge” rides of 300 miles or more soon followed.

“It really did help a lot of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries,” Rodriguez said.

Those rides have made a world of difference.

“One of the things you lose when you get out of the military is a sense of purpose,” Rodriguez said.

His wife has noticed a positive change.

“Prior to riding, Carlos was in a very depressed state of mind,” she said. “Carlos now seems like he has a sense of purpose. He enjoys the camaraderie. He enjoys being with the other folks. He enjoys the brotherhood.”

Coretta, who met Carlos when they were in high school, has known him for 40 years and they have been married for more than 30. He has gone back to his old self.

“He’s more outgoing. He’s talking to people now. Whereas before, he was very withdrawn,” she said.

Early this year, Rodriguez was named president of the Peninsula Bicycling Association. He leads a weekly Saturday morning ride out of Hampton and is one of the most gregarious people on those rides.

“He still has his days,” his wife said. “But I can always tell when he’s been riding or is getting ready to go ride. He just lights up. It’s beautiful to see.”

An inspiration

On his benefit rides, Rodriguez has ridden with double amputees and those using handcycles.

“Trust me, I’ve seen some amazing stuff, really inspiring,” Rodriguez said.

At a ride in California in October, Rodriguez and a friend provided the inspiration to a former homeless veteran who met them at a previous ride.

“She told me her story and I was in tears,” he said. “She said the only reason she came back was because she was inspired by us.”

He hears similar stories at nearly every ride.

Coretta, who sometimes volunteers at the rides, has seen how other riders look up to her husband.

“As a wife and an outsider of the biking world, it is beautiful to see the amount of respect that he receives,” she said.

It’s something he doesn’t take lightly.

“I know he respects it. It’s like, ‘Wow, these people are looking up to me. These people are expecting this of me, so I can’t mess up,’” she said. “He doesn’t have time to go into that dark hole anymore.”

Todd Setter has been with Project Hero since 2015 and its executive director since 2018. He met Rodriguez a few years ago and they ride together three times a year. It’s on those rides, many 80-100 miles a day, that Setter sees the effect Carlos has on others, especially when he’s pedaling his recumbent up a hill.

“Just what the recumbents go through, from downhill with the speed, they can pass you, but the uphill, the amount of effort they have to put out because that bike weighs more, that’s always an inspiration,” Setter said. “That’s a great aspect and culture that he creates in the events themselves.”

Rodriguez is down to about 195 pounds, bench presses 300 pounds and his best in the leg press is 1,325 pounds (and that was after having both knees replaced six months apart in 2018).

“He’s always ready and in shape for the ride, no matter how grueling it is,” Setter said.

Family approach

While his rides require him to spend time away from his wife and their four children (ages 20 to 27), the events have become a family affair.

“When Carlos is preparing to go on these rides, we all fundraise on his behalf. We get so excited,” Coretta said.

Then when Carlos is on the rides, he provides regular updates.

“(Our) children are just so proud of him and they glow when they’re talking about his rides and they’re sharing the pictures that he sends,” she said. “I think it’s brought our family closer together. That disconnect that we once had, it’s no longer there.”

She admits it’s not easy, but everyone knows how important the rides are to him.

“I think they truly understand how much this has helped Carlos on the mental side,” she said. “We knew the term PTSD. We knew depression. But we didn’t have a full grasp of it.”

When the children were younger, it was difficult for Coretta to explain things to them. Now that they’re older, they have done their own research.

“We’ve all talked about it or say, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s why dad was this way.’ There’s an explanation now,” she said. “They understand why he was and is the way he is, whereas before it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this man is crazy.’ ”

He gives a lot of credit to his family.

“The good thing is that my wife sees what it means to me. She really supports me,” he said. “My kids do too. They help me.”

He’s come a long way.

“I’m definitely in a better place than where I was,” he said. “And I think cycling definitely helped me.”

His beginnings were much more humble and modest: Gloucester Country Club, a nine-hole tract in the middle of the county.

“My mom used to drop me and a buddy off at 8 o’clock in the morning. We’d play golf all day long,” Speight said. “It was like eight bucks; play as long as you wanted.”

Speight compared the fairways to yard grass mowed down, with the greens cut in a circle.

“They did a nice job with what they had to work with,” said Speight, the director of instruction at The Club at Viniterra in New Kent. He recently qualified for pro golf’s second major of the year, the PGA Championship next week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

He credits his success to those humble beginnings, not despite them.

“If you could play well there, then you could play pretty much anywhere,” said Speight, who has been proving that for nearly 20 years.

Yes, the course was short, but that didn’t make it easy because of the conditions of the fairways, and the greens were tiny and not in great shape.

“It helped me deal with when I get a bad lie, it’s not that bad. It taught me how to be creative on shots,” he said. “I think that is attributed to how I grew up, teaching myself how to do it. You have to figure it out somehow. I think that was a good thing for me.”

Speight, who lives in Middlesex County with his wife and two young children, earned his spot in the PGA Championship by tying for eighth at the PGA Professional Championship from April 28-May 1 in Frisco, Texas. The top 20 in the field of 312 club pros advanced. It’s the second consecutive year, and third time overall, he will be playing in the PGA Championship.

He’s better equipped this time around, especially considering there was a seven-year gap from his first time in the PGA Championship (2016) to his second (2023).

“It’s nice that it’s back-to-back years,” he said. “It was almost like starting over, making it last year. But I think it’ll be a little bit easier for me this year having just played in it 12 months ago.”

Last year in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in western New York, he shot 75-82 and missed the cut. In 2016 at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey, he had rounds of 77-71 and also missed the cut. He’s optimistic this year. His driving is the best part of his game, but he said putting will be the key at Valhalla.

“I had been putting poorly for the last few years. But this year, I’ve really worked hard on my putting,” he said.

The stats show that work is paying off.

At last year’s PGA Professional Championship, he had eight three-putts and averaged 32.5 putts per round, yet still tied for 11th. This year, he had one three-putt and averaged 29.25 putts per round for 72 holes.

“I’m excited to go to the PGA feeling like I’m putting well and driving well. And my short game last week was really, really good,” he said of his play in Texas.

His caddie, who has been on his bag since last year’s PGA Professional Championship, agrees.

“I think his game is good enough,” said Joe Serafini, who is retired from the Air Force, lives in Williamsburg and has known Speight for 20 years. “He’s got all the tools. He definitely has all the shots.”

Michael Block, one of the 20 PGA Professionals who qualified for last year’s PGA Championship, was one of the stories of the tournament by tying for 15th, the highest finish by a PGA Professional since 1986. Speight and Serafini said there’s no reason they can’t do that this year.

“That’s exactly what I texted him. ‘We could be this year’s Michael Block,’ ” Serafini said.

The week will be a little bittersweet, too. Speight’s father, Ray, died at age 86 the week after last year’s PGA Championship.

“It’ll be a good and weird thing all at once, dealing with that,” he said.

Speight was a standout for Gloucester High School, where he graduated in 2006. He was among the top golfers in the Peninsula District and reached the Group AAA tournament his junior and senior years, earning a tie for fifth in 2005. He was an All-American for Methodist University and led the Monarchs to the NCAA Division III title his senior year.

“It’s all so humbling being a kid from Gloucester that gets to do the things that I’ve gotten to do in my career,” he said.

He’s closing in on his third major appearance and has traveled the world because of golf.

“Golf has done a lot for me,” he said. “And it’s nice to know that I’m from such a small place that I have so much support. It’s greatly appreciated.”

“Kudos to Hofstra. They played a good game,” W&M coach Erin Dickerson Davis said.

After trailing the entire game, at one point by 16, the No. 5 seed Tribe (15-14) pulled ahead 53-52 on a 3-pointer from freshman Cassidy Geddes with 3:05 left. The No.13 Pride (11-20) regained the lead 30 seconds later and extended it to 56-53 on a pair of free throws with 1:02 left. After each team committed turnovers, the Tribe had the ball with 19 seconds left, trailing 56-53.

“We were trying to get a 3 for Cassidy,” Davis said.

Instead, Nylah Young, who was 2 for 11 on 3-pointers this season coming into the game, took a 3 with 8 seconds left, and it was partially blocked by Zyheima Swint, her fourth of the game.

“I think we just rushed. I don’t think we waited for screens. I don’t think we set good screens,” Davis said. “They forced us out of it.”

Hofstra, which got knocked out of the tournament by the Tribe last season, iced the game with a free throw by Brooke Anya, a transfer from Longwood, with four seconds left.

Young, a graduate transfer from Hampton University and a first-team all-CAA selection, finished her standout career with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Geddes, who made the league’s all-rookie team, had 14 points.

“Nylah Young, she’s a phenomenal player,” said Hofstra coach Danielle Santos Atkinson.

For the Pride, who knocked off a team it was 0-2 against in the regular season for the second consecutive day, received double-doubles from Anya (11 points and 11 rebounds) and Swint (11 and 14). Ally Knights and Sorella Ineza added 10 points each.

The Tribe were forced to play catchup because of a poor first quarter, the only quarter they were outscored.

The Pride, which ousted No.12 Hampton 72-55 in Wednesday’s opening round at the Entertainment and Sports Arena on the strength of a hot-shooting second half, came out on fire against the Tribe. They led 14-4 just 4:16 into the game and 20-10 after the first quarter. The Pride sank their first eight field goals, including two 3-pointers.

“I feel like we were a little panicked at times,” Davis said. “I think that we were trying to get our wind, whereas Hofstra already had some momentum from playing on Day 1. They just came out with a great effort.”

The Tribe fell behind 28-12, but cut the deficit to 33-25 at the half, finishing on a 7-0 run. Young had 16 points and Geddes five as just four W&M players scored in the opening 20 minutes.

In the third quarter, the Tribe came out strong, tying the game at 37 on a basket by Anahi-Lee Cauley with 3:59 left, but the Pride closed on a 4-0 run for a 41-37 lead. The final quarter was close, with the lead never more than four in the final 7:21.

“Hofstra was playing like they didn’t want to go home,” Davis said. “They played like that yesterday. They played like that today.”

The Tribe were hampered by foul trouble, with Rebekah Frisby-Smith limited to 13:47 of playing time, Culley 20:40 and Kayla Beckwith 9:34, each below their season averages.

The Tribe, chosen ninth in the preseason poll, had 12 wins in the CAA for the second consecutive season.

“We did better than I think a lot of people thought,” Davis said.

“They made some adjustments,” said Hampton coach David Six. “We tried to adjust. We just didn’t make great adjustments.”

Hampton’s victories over Hofstra were by five and six points, and both teams finished with 3-13 records in the regular season. HU earned the 12th seed on a tiebreaker, and Hofstra was No. 13.

So, it wasn’t surprising when it was a two-point game at halftime, with Hampton (3-26) ahead. However, the Pride (10-20) opened the second half on a 21-4 run, sinking eight consecutive field goals, including three 3-pointers, in one stretch. That was after shooting 9 for 29 in the first half and missing their first 10 3-pointers of the game.

Meanwhile, Hampton was just 5 of 13 from the field and got outscored 25-12 in the decisive third quarter.

“Teams go on runs,” Six said. “They were doing some trapping … and caught us by surprise. We didn’t adjust to that. When they were trapping, I think that affected our shooting a little bit.”

The Pride scored nine consecutive points early in the fourth for a 55-36 lead and the game wasn’t in doubt after that. Hampton cut the deficit to 10 with three minutes to go, but Alarice Gooden, who led the Pride with a career-high 19 points, made four consecutive free throws for a 14-point lead with two minutes remaining.

Cheyenne Talbot led Hampton with 18 points and six rebounds. Camryn Hill, a third-team all-CAA selection averaging 14.5 points, had just 10. She played just 29 minutes because of injuries.

“To her credit … she played all year with a disk problem in her back,” Six said of Hill, a senior guard/forward. “She had a hurt toe. No excuses, though. Congratulations to Hofstra. They move on.”

Supporting Gooden was Brooke Anya, a transfer from Longwood, with 14 points and seven rebounds, Emma Von Essen with 12 points, and Zyheima Swint with 10 points and 13 rebounds for Hofstra.

Talbot, a senior guard, said the Pirates didn’t play with the same energy in the second half as they did in the first.

“We tried our best,” she said. “The first half, it was like we wanted to win.”

One of the challenges in trying to beat an opponent three times in one year is convincing your team not to take things for granted. Six didn’t say that was the case with his team, but Hofstra may have had extra motivation because of those earlier results.

“They didn’t want to lose three times to one team,” Six said of the Pride. “They showed up tonight.”

The Pride will try to do the same in Thursday’s quarterfinals against No. 5 seed William & Mary (15-13, 12-6). The Tribe swept the season series, winning 48-46 at Hofstra in early January and 61-50 in Williamsburg 19 days later.

“There is no doubt, W&M has produced some accomplished and celebrated individuals,” the 1980 William & Mary graduate said. “But the deep friendships formed in college can also have big impact in lives.”

One of those friendships, formed her sophomore year, is what Linda cherishes most from her undergraduate days in Williamsburg.

“She’s my best friend,” Linda said of Laurie (Middleton) Hardaway. “I don’t know where I would be without her.”

The two couldn’t be more different.

Linda, who is from southeastern Virginia, met Laurie in fall 1977. Laurie, who grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, was majoring in English. During the ensuing 40-plus years, they may have been separated by miles but little else.

They were there, often side-by-side, for each other through the normal ups and downs of life: marriages (including one at the Wren Chapel), divorces, professional accomplishments, retirements, the joys and angst of raising teenage daughters and everything in between.

After Linda was involved in a horrific bicycling accident in 2011, it was Laurie who played a vital role in her recovery and rehab, unknowingly bringing her back to the activity she loved.

___

Linda and her bike

Growing up, Linda rode her bike to explore her hometown of Saluda, a small community about an hour east of Williamsburg. She still has that bike, a brown 10-speed Schwinn Continental with shifters on the handlebars. She bought it at Agee’s Bicycles in Richmond in the early 1970s.

“I would say I’ve been riding forever,” Linda said. “It was just fun, but it started as a way to get places.”

When Linda went off to college, that bike went with her.

Her favorite trips, about 20 miles, were along the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown Island. She especially enjoyed playing tour guide to her W&M classmates, although Laurie didn’t participate. As Linda moved from state to state as an adult, she continued riding. It was, at various times, for fun, exercise, camaraderie and a way to clear her mind.

“It’s just been my thing,” she said.

Eventually, she got hooked on long rides, some multiday events of up to 200 miles. In 2011, shortly after returning to Virginia following a long career as an air traffic controller in New York, Maine, New Hampshire and Illinois, Linda signed up for a charity ride on the Eastern Shore.

About an hour into the first day of the two-day ride, near the 17-mile mark, she crashed while riding close to 20 mph, with the bike breaking in three places.

Linda suffered, among other things, a traumatic brain injury. Her immediate recovery came down to three people, whom she calls her angels: Ann Marie Campolattaro, a York County family physician who eventually became Linda’s doctor; William Diggs, a lieutenant with the Newport News Fire Department; and Dr. David Waters. Campolattaro and Diggs were behind her on the ride, came across the crash site and began life-saving actions. Waters was the doctor on call at Norfolk General Hospital, where Linda was flown by a Nightingale helicopter. He scheduled emergency surgery, knowing without it, Linda could die.

___

Long road to recovery

If Campolattaro, Diggs and Waters receive the credit for saving Linda’s life, Laurie deserves much of the credit for Linda’s recovery.

Laurie, who went to law school in Chicago after graduating from William & Mary, had moved back to Hampton Roads to practice law in the mid-1980s. She has lived in Gloucester since 1986, and now was about 20 minutes from Linda. She was at the hospital the day after the crash, when Linda came out of the first of many surgeries.

“Honestly, I was a little shaken by her appearance,” Laurie said. “She had half her head shaved, and I think a little gauze cap on. Her face was bruised and stitched up. The nurse had a Ziploc bag of her blond hair that they had saved.”

Linda eventually spent three weeks in two hospitals. When she got home to Gloucester, she couldn’t drive, couldn’t shower alone. Somebody had to be in the house with her at all times.

“It was like having a big baby,” Linda said, adding it was eight or nine months before she was “right” again.

Because she had a brain injury, Linda’s driver’s license was suspended.

“Being an independent adult and then you can’t drive, that’s a really big deal,” said her daughter, Rachel Abbott, who was in high school at the time of the crash. “It’s not like she had anywhere to go, but it’s still a lot. She felt trapped.”

Laurie said the first few weeks at home were tough on Linda.

“She does not like to sit idle, and she particularly never likes to ask for help,” Laurie said. “That was all hard for her.”

Still, Laurie never doubted her friend would recover, thanks in part to immediate help and great doctors.

Laurie rarely left her side, driving Linda to doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy sessions, and countless other places.

Laurie’s twin daughters were in college at the time, her son was in high school and she was a devoted wife. But Linda became a priority. “She didn’t have time, but she made time,” Linda said.

To make things worse, Linda’s second marriage was falling apart. She needed help. Again, it was Laurie who was there.

“She just sort of saw my house go nuts,” Linda said. “She stepped in and was kind of a mother to my daughter.”

It was about two years before Linda started riding again. A friend coaxed her to take short trips close to home.

“I got back on the bike, and I still loved it,” she said.

Those turned into weekly rides, and when other friends heard, they offered to join her. She doesn’t do any big charity rides anymore but does multiday excursions in addition to 20-25 mile rides a few times a week.

Of course, that made Laurie nervous.

“I didn’t try to talk her out of it because I knew that would do no good,” Laurie said.

___

W&M reunions

Colleges often bring together people of different backgrounds and personalities. Laurie calls herself a country girl; Linda is more big city. Linda is outgoing; Laurie is spontaneous.

“We’re so different. We’re two extremes,” Linda said. “But there’s a bond there.”

Linda and Laurie roomed together senior year in the Prince George House. They shared a few classes, were in the same social circles and had typical college adventures.

Homecoming is a time Linda looks forward to each fall, reconnecting with other William & Mary friends, as well. However, neither she nor Laurie will be there this year as Linda’s daughter is getting married in Raleigh, North Carolina. Of course, Laurie and her family will be at the wedding.

Linda will miss that annual gathering of classmates, even though she knows how it will go.

“You’re getting together and telling the same old story,” Linda said. “And laughing just as hard.”

She has three or four groups of college friends, but they don’t always intersect even though they know of each other. One enjoys wining and dining, another likes picnics, and another hiking.

“I have all these groups … and we go have fun,” Linda said. “I’m grateful for them.”

It’s nothing like her bond with Laurie. They had no way of knowing at the time that those college years would provide friendships and form bonds they wanted to maintain. Many of Linda’s friends who did not go to W&M enjoyed their college experiences, but not to the same extent. It’s something her first husband, Bob Tobin, noticed, and something he wanted his sons to experience.

“He highly recommended William & Mary to his sons because he watched me and my friends, and he’s like, ‘You guys really had a solid bond,’” Linda said.

Tobin’s oldest son, Connor, attended W&M and met his future wife there while in graduate school. The older Tobin said his son’s friend groups primarily are W&M graduates also.

“The thing that’s amazing in a way is it’s like the next generation of what I think Linda experienced,” Bob Tobin said. “They’re very close with those folks, again, a lot like Linda was with her peers.”

Linda said: “William & Mary does produce those bonds unlike any other school.”

She and Laurie, whose son also attended W&M, know that firsthand, and have been living it for more than 40 years.

Bob Flynn, bobf6381@cox.net

Speight, a 2006 graduate of Gloucester High School who’s now the director of instruction at The Club at Viniterra in New Kent, tied for 11th at the PGA Professional Championship from April 30-May 3 in New Mexico. The top 20 earned invitations to golf’s second major of the year, scheduled to begin Thursday at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York.

“It was nice to get that validation of how well I’ve been playing,” he said. “I changed my golf swing pretty dramatically over the winter months, and I’ve been really putting in a lot of effort on that and my putting.”

It wasn’t all about his efforts on the course, though. He also credited what has happened off the course in the past few years.

“I think I have way more perspective of life these days because I have children,” he said. “I think I have more appreciation for what I just did because I have a family. I have a beautiful wife who I love very much and is so supportive of me, and our children that are, quite frankly, too young to know what’s going on right now.”

He and his wife, Sydney, have been married almost 10 years. They have a 2-year-old son, Graham, and 1-year-old daughter, Grace.

“I think one of the reasons that I played better last week is because I had more perspective that, hey, if I don’t play well, it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day,” he said. “That kind of freed me up to play better, not that I didn’t get frustrated when I did something wrong.”

That maturity was important to him bouncing back from an opening-round 4-over-par 76 in the PGA Professional Championship, an annual tournament for golf club pros and teachers who are PGA members. He followed with rounds of 70, 72 and 67 to move safely into the top 20 and the PGA Championship again.

“As I mature, I’m able to deal with this tournament way better,” he said.

After finishing tied for fourth in 2016, he failed to reach the final round in 2017, ’18 and ’19. In 2020, the event was canceled because of the pandemic, and he didn’t participate the past two years because the tournament came shortly after the birth of each of his children.

“All the other times I missed the cut, I had a 76, 77, 78 in the first round, and then I was done at that point,” he said.

However, this year he wasn’t discouraged after his opening round left him tied for 172nd. He had played in the afternoon, when the windy conditions were particularly challenging.

“I knew the guys that played in the morning had to now play in the afternoon the next day, and I knew I was getting to play in the morning, so I had time and I stayed patient,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do that seven years ago, five years ago, four years ago.”

In the final round, he holed out from about 50 yards for an eagle on the first hole, setting the tone for the day.

“That was a nice way to start that round off,” he said.

He knew where he stood most of the day, and when he birdied No. 16, he was pretty sure he would finish in the top 20. But with the leaders still out on the course, it wasn’t yet official.

“You never know, things happen,” he said. “I waited around on pins and needles for three hours.”

Now, it’s off to eastern New York, where he will participate for the second time against the likes of Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth. In all, 99 of the top 100 players in the world are in the 156-player field.

Seven years ago, Speight missed the cut in the PGA Championship by six shots after rounds of 77-71 at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey.

“I think I was overwhelmed a little bit the first day,” he said. “But I’m looking forward to doing it again.”

He doesn’t know much about Oak Hill, but has been doing research. He expects it to play long with challenging rough.

“I’m going to have to keep the ball in play off the tee to avoid the rough,” he said.

He isn’t intimidated by the big names in the game, although he is impressed by them. He knows he has to stay patient and play his game, not letting one bad shot snowball. The experience from 2016 will pay off, even if it was seven years ago.

“I’ve matured a lot in my golf game, and as a person,” he said. “I think that maturity will also serve me well this week versus 2016.”

Case in point was William & Mary’s 76-59 loss to Towson on Saturday in the semifinals of the CAA women’s basketball tournament.

The Tribe had earned the fourth seed by going 12-6 in the regular season, tying a program record for conference victories. Top-seeded Towson was playing on its home court, and had won both regular-season matchups.

But with 6:04 left, the Tribe (18-13) trailed by just one after leading through the first three quarters. The Tigers (21-10) then went on a 6-0 run. W&M answered with a jumper from Bre Bellamy, but a three-point play, a 3-point shot and another three-point play sparked a 12-2 Towson run to make it 68-57 with 1:54 left.

“I am extraordinarily proud of this team,” said coach Erin Dickerson Davis, who set a record for victories by a first-year Tribe coach. “I told them that I have to find a word that’s bigger than proud because I don’t think proud quite sums it up.”

Sixth-year guards Riley Casey and Sydney Wagner had led the team all season. Wagner scored a game-high 30 points, 19 in the first half, but Riley was held to five, all free throws after going 0 for 13 from the field, including 0 for 3 on 3-pointers.

“Syd really carried us in scoring. Riley carried us in leadership. Bre carried us in energy,” Davis said. “We wouldn’t have even been in that predicament if it wasn’t for our seniors.”

When Wagner scored on a layup to give the Tribe a 32-19 lead with 1:27 left in the first half, she had as many points as Towson.

The Tigers closed the half on a 5-0 run and then outscored the Tribe 24-16 in the third quarter to tie the game at 48 entering the final 10 minutes. India Johnston, a freshman guard, opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer from the left corner to put the Tigers ahead to stay.

A Wagner basket cut the lead to 53-52, but Johnston hit another 3 for a four-point lead. Another 3 by Wagner cut it to one point again before Towson pulled away with their two big runs.

“They do a great job of hitting those emotional 3s. It really stole the momentum when they did it,” Davis said. “A couple of those we were in their face.”

For Wagner, Riley and the program, it was a historical season with numerous individual and team records set. However, two things will have to wait at least another year: The program’s first conference tournament title (its only appearance in the title game came in 1993 and resulted in a loss to Old Dominion) and its first NCAA Tournament appearance.

That does nothing to diminish what was accomplished, especially after being picked seventh in the preseason poll, Wagner said.

“I’m super proud of the season and super proud of my teammates for making it this far,” she said. “Nobody thought we could do this.”

Bellamy, with 12 points, was the only other double-figure scorer for the Tribe behind Wagner.

Leading the way for the Tigers was Kornegay-Lucas with 21 points and 15 rebounds.

The fourth-seeded Tribe made just four of their first 25 field goals and missed their first 12 shots from 3-point distance. But their first 3 of the game, which came from Riley Casey with 1:49 left in the first half, gave them a lead they never relinquished in turning away the upset-minded and 12th-seeded Pride 74-64 at Towson University.

The victory put the Tribe (18-12) in the conference semifinals for the first time since 2019 and just the sixth overall. That also was the last time the Tribe won a tournament game. They will take on top-seeded Towson in Saturday’s first semifinal at 2 p.m. The Tigers swept the season series.

“I’m just super-proud of our girls,” said Tribe coach Erin Dickerson Davis, who is in her first year with W&M. “They fought through some fatigue, some runs and we came out on top.”

As usual, W&M’s two outstanding sixth-year guards, Sydney Wagner (20 points) and Casey (19), led the way. However, just as important were contributions from the rest of the team.

Rebekah Frisby-Smith had 10 points, Kayla Rolph nine points and five rebounds, Bre Bellamy eight points and 10 boards, and Alexa Mikeska (six points) hit a big 3-pointer with 2:53 left to give the Tribe a 10-point cushion.

“It’s a full team effort,” Davis said. “We talk about every single one of our young ladies that hit the court, they put their heart and soul into everything that they do. … I’m glad they showed what we felt they could.”

Riley, who moved into sole possession of second place on the Tribe’s all-time single-season scoring list, was not worried about the slow start.

“I think everyone just kept saying ‘we need to settle in,'” she said. “We hadn’t played a game in a week, and they’ve played games the last few days. And knowing that they’ll start falling.”

They did as the Tribe made 6 of 7 in one stretch to take a 54-43 lead after the third quarter.

Mikeska’s 3 was the shot that finally put away the Pride. W&M was leading by seven and got two offensive rebounds from Bellamy to set up the shot.

Hofstra, playing its third game in three days, got a game-high 23 points from Brandy Thomas. The Pride were the first No. 12 seed since 2006 to reach the quarterfinals, having beaten No. 5 North Carolina A&T 66-59 Thursday.

Not only were his No. 9 seed Pirates playing the top seed on its home court, but he was shorthanded. Two starters were out with injuries — Jermany Mapp suffered a broken hand in late February, and Tia Montagne tore an ACL in early December.

If that weren’t enough, Six acknowledged the Tigers are bigger and more athletic, so the Pirates would have to create turnovers to have a chance. They forced 18 but committed 16, were outrebounded (48-28) and outshot (48% to 37%), and their star player got into first-half foul trouble. That resulted in an 87-65 loss, ending their season.

“Not our finest hour, but I’m proud of the kids nonetheless,” Six said about the game and his team’s first year in the CAA after four in the Big South.

Nylah Young, a junior forward from Suffolk who was third-team All-CAA, led the Lady Pirates (12-18) with 16 points, but picked up her second foul with 8:03 left in the second quarter and Hampton leading 22-20. The Tigers took advantage of her absence to go on a 14-0 run to take control of the game.

Six said that’s when his team’s lack of size and depth, along with injuries, showed.

“It was close in the first quarter, but as we moved into the game, foul trouble and depth, injuries … having to play people out of position, was tough.”

Laren VanArsdale, a senior guard who averages 7.4 points, added 15.

“I just think we allowed them to get some open shots,” she said of the Tigers’ second-quarter run. “The rebounding didn’t help. They were getting a lot of second-chance shots.”

Hampton got off to a good start, forcing Towson turnovers on two of its first three possessions and six in the first quarter, but committed five. The Pirates led 18-16 after the first 10 minutes, thanks to shooting 7 of 12 from the floor.

Towson’s key second-quarter run was halted by a layup with 1:56 left in the half from Madison Buford, who finished with eight points, but the Tigers stretched it to 40-27 at the break.

In the second half, HU never got closer than 12 and trailed by as many as 29. The two teams split their regular-season series, with each winning at home.

Kylie Kornegay-Lucas, a first-team All-CAA selection, led the Tigers (20-10) with 18 points, 14 coming in the first half. The Tigers, who drew a bye into the quarterfinals, will play No. 4 William & Mary or No. 12 Hofstra in Saturday’s semifinals. Game time is 2 p.m.

“The other team is making adjustments, so we have to make adjustments too,” she said. “We just had to watch film and really dissect what we did last game and try to do better this game, and I think we did that.”

That they did as the No. 9 seed Pirates defeated No. 8 Delaware 78-67 on Thursday afternoon in the second round of the CAA women’s basketball tournament at Towson University. The two teams squared off in their regular-season finale March 4 at HU, with the Pirates rallying from a 16-point deficit to win 77-72.

“I’m very proud of the young ladies,” said Hampton coach David Six. “For large portions of this game, we executed our game plan as well as we could have.”

It was nearly a reversal of their first meeting as HU (12-17) built its largest lead of the game at 49-37 with 6:39 left in the third, but the Blue Hens (16-14) closed the quarter on a 10-0 run for a 59-58 lead.

“I think we ran out of gas,” Six said. “We’ve got some injuries and so we don’t have the depth we would normally have.”

Young, who finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, said she and her teammates didn’t get down on themselves after losing the lead.

“We kept our composure,” she said. “We were encouraging each other the whole time.”

Young scored in the paint at the 8:38 mark of the fourth quarter as Hampton regained the lead at 60-59, the first of five lead changes in the final 10 minutes.

The Pirates were clinging to a 69-67 lead when they inbounded the ball under their basket with 1:15 to go. Amyah Reaves found Young, who made a layup, was fouled and added the free throw for a 72-67 lead and some breathing room.

Neither Six nor Young would divulge what they saw on the play.

“We can’t tell anybody about that. That’s me and Nylah’s secret,” said Six, adding only it was something he noticed earlier in the game.

Hampton then closed out the game by going 6 for 6 from the line in the final 1:02.

Leading the way for HU was senior Madison Buford with 22 points, 13 of which came in the first half as the Lady Pirates led 40-32 at the break. Laren VanArsdale added 16 points.

For Delaware, Jewel Smalls, a fifth-year guard, had 16 points. Michelle Ojo, a sophomore forward from Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, had 13.

HU outscored Delaware 26-8 on points off turnovers.

Six said that will be the key today, when the Pirates take on top-seeded and host Towson in a quarterfinal at noon.

“We know that Towson is an athletic ballclub,” he said. “We’ll have our hands full. We will try to turn them over. The rebounds don’t come in bunches for us. Turnovers have to be our rebounds.”