The NCAA News - News and Features

June 2, 1997

A Devil of a good time

Arizona State recaptures I women's golf title, its fourth in last five years

After only a one-year hiatus, Arizona State returned to the throne in women's golf and further staked its claim to recognition as the team of the decade.

With a final-round, three-over-par 291, the Sun Devils claimed their fifth team title since 1990 with a two-stroke win over San Jose State at the Division I Women's Golf Championships May 21-24 at Ohio State.

Winner of four of the last five team titles, Arizona State avenged last year's sixth-place finish behind Kellee Booth and Thuhashini Selvaratnum, who each posted top-10 finishes. Booth fired a final-round 71 to place fifth overall.

San Jose State, runner-up for a third consecutive year, was tied with Arizona State heading into the final round. Janice Moodie matched Booth's 71 and Marie Hedberg came through with a 70, seven shots better than any of her previous three rounds, but two other Spartans shot 78 -- one of which had to count toward the team's final-round total.

The Sun Devils, meanwhile, packaged their finish around Booth's 71, Keri Cornelius' 72 and Jody Niemann's 73. Selvaratnum and Je'ne-Marie Busuttil each shot 75.

"As far as victories, this one was really the most fun and satisfying," said Sun Devils coach Linda Vollstedt, who has engineered all five Arizona State championships. "The players really worked so hard all year long -- they knew they had to do that. This is the most prepared team I've ever had. Every one of them knew what they had to do this year."

Ironically, a former Sun Devil won medalist honors. Texas' Heather Bowie, who tied for 12th for Arizona State in 1995, shot 69-70 in the final two rounds to outlast last year's hero, Marisa Baena of Arizona.

Bowie became the first golfer playing in the championships without her team (Texas did not qualify) to win a title since Cindy Schreyer of Georgia in 1984. Bowie had to endure a bogey at the 17th hole and an early finish before learning her fate.

"It was worse than I thought it would be, waiting for everybody to finish," she said. "And I'll probably think about that bogey on 17 for the rest of my life. I may have been holding on too tight in the beginning and I didn't hit the ball nearly as well as I did in the third round."

Bowie overtook Moodie, the tournament leader at the halfway mark, with her third-round 69. She held a one-stroke advantage over Moodie, two over Selvaratnum, and three over Baena and Tennessee's Jessica Lindbergh when the final round began.

Baena, whose miracle hole-out eagle gave Arizona the team title last year, tied Moodie for second overall and helped the Wildcats place third in the team standings.

DIVISION I WOMEN'S GOLF

TEAM RESULTS

1. Arizona St., 297-300-290-291--1,178; 2. San Jose St., 299-293-295-293--1,180; 3. Arizona, 292-298-302-298--1,190; 4. Stanford, 304-300-293-294--1,191; 5. UCLA, 301-297-301-293--1,192; 6. Tennessee, 309-301-295-292--1,197; 7. Oregon, 303-302-297-298--1,200; 8. (tie) Ohio St., 308-301-298-295--1,202; and Tulsa, 303-308-296-295--1,202; 10. Florida, 305-301-303-299--1,208.

11. Wake Forest, 311-294-301-304--1,210; 12. Texas Christian, 316-305-301-297--1,219; 13. Auburn, 303-319-296-303--1,221; 14. Campbell, 307-306-312-301--1,226; 15. New Mex. St., 315-302-306-305--1,228; 16. Furman, 308-308-301-312--1,229; 17. Texas A&M, 311-310-294-320--1,235; 18. Washington, 321-311-311-324--1,267.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

1. Heather Bowie, Texas, 73-73-69-70--285; 2. (tie) Marisa Baena, Arizona, 72-73-73-69--287; and Janice Moodie, San Jose St., 68-74-74-71--287; 4. Shauna Estes, Georgia, 73-75-71-70--289; 5. Kellee Booth, Arizona St., 73-71-75-71--290; 6. Jessica Lindbergh, Tennessee, 74-70-74-73--291; 7. (tie) Jae Jean Ro, Stanford, 77-76-69-70--292; and Thuhashini Selvaratnum, Arizona St., 75-75-67-75--292; 9. Niina Laitinen, Tulsa, 73-74-74-72--293; 10. Becky Morgan, N.C.-Greensboro, 74-73-73-74--294.

11. (tie) A. J. Eathorne, New Mex. St., 76-74-74-71--295; Riko Higashio, Florida, 73-74-79-69--295; Erin Kurczewski, Tennessee, 76-76-72-71--295; Mhairi McKay, Stanford, 72-75-74-74--295; and Sophie Sandolo, UCLA, 74-74-78-69--295; 16. (tie) Karen Bristow, Oregon, 74-72-73-77--296; Eunice Choi, UCLA, 72-74-75-75--296; Christina Kuld, Tulsa, 77-79-70-70--296; and Amy Langhals, Ohio St., 78-74-72-72--296; 20. (tie) Andrea Baxter, Stanford, 76-75-73-73--297; Heather Graff, Arizona, 76-73-75-73--297; Jessica Luciuk, Ohio St., 76-76-72-73--297; and Laura Philo, Wake Forest, 77-74-73-73--297.

24. Monica Stratton, San Jose St., 77-70-73-78--298; 25. (tie) Je'ne-Marie Busuttil, Arizona St., 73-76-75-75--299; Keri Cornelius, Arizona St., 76-78-73-72--299; K. M. Juul, San Jose St., 77-74-74-74--299; and Angela Stanford, Texas Christian, 77-75-75-72--299; 29. (tie) Sonia Bauer, Wake Forest, 77-68-74-81--300; and Isabelle Rosberg, Texas A&M, 80-72-70-78--300; 31. (tie) Marci Clemons, Auburn, 76-80-69-76--301; Alexandra Gasser, UCLA, 80-72-76-73--301; Anika Heuser, Oregon, 77-76-74-74--301; Jamie Hullett, Texas A&M, 76-78-69-78--301; and Krissie Register, Arizona, 71-76-76-78--301.

36. (tie) Sara Beautell, Florida, 77-77-71-77--302; Diana D'Alessio, Furman, 72-75-74-81--302; Jennifer Hanna, Furman, 75-78-76-73--302; and Lisa Penske, Tulsa, 75-76-76-75--302; 40. (tie) Mary Moan, Princeton, 74-83-75-71--303; Natalie Mosher, Ohio St., 76-79-75-73--303; Paula Patterson, Oregon, 75-78-77-73--303; Pam Snowden, Oregon, 79-76-74-74--303; and Amandine Vincent, UCLA, 75-80-72-76--303; 45. (tie) Kylie Pratt, Campbell, 77-73-80-74--304; and Ashli Price, Furman, 83-74-72-75--304.

47. (tie) Dodie Mazzuca, Washington, 81-75-74-75--305; and Malin Tveit, Tennessee, 78-78-74-75--305; 49. (tie) Robin Cook, Auburn, 76-78-75-77--306; Jenna Daniels, Arizona, 73-76-78-79--306; Marie Hedberg, San Jose St., 77-78-81-70--306; Mara Larrauri, Campbell, 74-80-77-75--306; and Amanda Workman, Texas Christian, 78-77-78-73--306; 54. (tie) Alexandra Armas, Wake Forest, 76-75-82-74--307; and Jody Niemann, Arizona St., 76-83-75-73--307; 56. (tie) Cecelia Afzelius-Alm, San Jose St., 81-75-74-78--308; Virginia Costa, Florida, 79-76-75-78--308; Rachel Duncan, New Mex. St., 80-75-73-80--308; Shannon Fisher, Texas Christian, 82-77-73-76--308; and Kylie Wilson, Oregon, 77-78-76-77--308.

61. (tie) Sarah Comstock, New Mex. St., 78-77-78-76--309; Katie Gallina, Auburn, 77-82-76-74--309; Jennifer Hubbard, Southern Methodist, 82-77-73-77--309; and Rebekah Lee-Owens, South Caro., 80-73-76-80--309; 65. Michelle Sperry, Stanford, 79-76-78-77--310; 66. (tie) Maria Combes, Campbell, 79-76-81-75--311; Susan Horton, Texas Christian, 83-76-76-76--311; and Evelyn Kinlaw, Campbell, 77-81-76-77--311; 69. (tie) Andrea Cordova, Washington, 79-77-78-78--312; Julie Dunn, Stanford, 82-74-77-79--312; Kelly Kirwin, Wake Forest, 82-79-75-76--312; Amy Livsey, Tennessee, 82-81-75-74--312; Jeong-Min Park, UCLA, 80-77-78-77--312; and Marisa Wilhelm, Ohio St., 82-72-80-78--312.

75. Stacy Rambin, Tulsa, 79-80-76-78--313; 76. (tie) Filippa Helmersson, Tulsa, 78-79-76-81--314; Aurora Kirchner, Texas A&M, 77-77-77-83--314; and Skyli Yamada, Tennessee, 81-77-82-74--314; 79. (tie) Amber Amstutz, Ohio St., 78-82-79-77--316; Susan Conger, Florida, 76-81-84-75--316; Marty Goldthorp, Auburn, 81-83-76-76--316; Ann Pohira, Florida, 82-74-78-82--316; and Dana Schmid, Texas Christian, 79-83-77-77--316; 84. Kim Yabe, Washington, 82-79-76-81--318.

85. (tie) Kate Dunn, New Mex. St., 81-76-81-81--319; Jill Gomric, Arizona, 79-79-83-78--319; and Patricia Monchietti, Campbell, 79-77-79-84--319; 88. (tie) Kami Smith, Auburn, 74-79-80-87--320; and Kristen Wagner, Wake Forest, 81-77-79-83--320; 90. (tie) Stacey Burnett, Furman, 81-81-79-83--324; and Wendi Wight, Texas A&M, 78-86-78-82--324; 92. Heather Taylor, Furman, 80-84-80-83--327; 93. Alison Smith, New Mex. St., 83-80-89-78--330; 94. Jennifer Emmons, Texas A&M, 89-83-79-82--333; 95. Emily Martin, Washington, 87-83-85-90--345; 96. Jennifer Stapleton, Washington, 79-80-83-WD.