STEAM ROLLING

The Arizona State women's golf team -- the No. 1
squad in the U.S. and two-time defending NCAA champion -- is
stronger than ever. This season the Sun Devils have thrashed their
opponents, winning all five of their tournaments by an average of
29 strokes. The latest trouncing came last week at the Chris
Johnson Invitational in Tucson. All five Sun Devils finished in
the top eight, led by sophomore Heather Bowie, who earned medalist
honors with a two-under 214. Her team beat runners-up Wake Forest
and South Carolina by 48 strokes, which is the biggest three-round
margin in team history.

``ASU is the 49ers of women's college golf,'' Arizona assistant
coach Tom Brill said after the tournament. ``The rest of us are
the AFC.''

It's easy to feel sorry for ASU's opponents. Defending U.S.
Women's Amateur champion Wendy Ward, a finalist for the 1994 Honda
Award for the nation's top female collegiate athlete, may not even
be the best Sun Devil. Ward, a senior, finished second last week,
two strokes behind Bowie, who was also tournament medalist two
other times. And since the fall of 1992, the Sun Devils have won
18 of their 25 tournaments. ``Everybody is talking about a
three-peat, and there's no reason to try to hide it,'' says Linda
Vollstedt, ASU's coach. ``The players know they're good, and
they're focused.''

-- Matthew Rudy

COLOR PHOTO:ROBERT BECKBowie is one reason this year's unbeaten Sun Devils have been such a smash.[Heather Bowie]