The relationship between level of achievement motivation and sex role orientation was measured in 67 female high school track and field athletes and in 67 female high school nonathletes. The hypothesis for the study was that there would be no significant difference between athletes and nonathletes on measures of achievement motivation, masculine sex role traits, sex role androgyny, and feminine sex role traits. Two standardized instruments were administered: the Bem Sex Role Inventory and the Mehrabian Scale of Achieving Tendency. After statistical analyses, the subjects' sex orientation was classified as masculine, feminine, androgynous, or undifferentiated. Further analyses showed that significant differences in motivation existed between athletes and nonathletes and that achievement motivation was the only discriminating factor between athletes and nonathletes. High levels of achievement motivation were related to masculine and androgynous sex role orientation. The undifferentiated classification was significantly lower in achievement motivation than in any other sex role classification. (FG)