Striking Success
Morgan Davis, the MEAC Bowling Rookie of the Year, talks pins, pets, and persistence.
Morgan Davis might be from Texas, but she’s just a typical college student experiencing her first year away from home. She misses her mom, she can’t wait to see her high school friends, and she’s looking forward to feeding dried leaves and cookies to her pet goat, Blue Bell.
Well, maybe she’s not exactly like the typical first-year student.
Davis is a member of the Monmouth University bowling team and enjoyed an exceptional first season. She was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, averaging 19.5 pins per frame and rolling a team-high 18 games in which she scored 200 or above. Davis is also a nominee for the Hawks’ prestigious Paul G. Gaffney II Female Athlete of the Year, which will be awarded this summer.
The North Richland Hills, Texas, native is a marine and environmental biology and policy major. She is thrilled to be at Monmouth, and the Hawks are equally happy have her on the East Coast. Davis also has a vision for her life after Monmouth that is as clear as the Ionian Sea.
From the Lone Star State to the Garden State, by way of the Wolverine State.
I was competing at the Junior Gold Championships in Michigan when I was approached by Coach [Karen] Grygiel. I think I was an easy sell. My goals for attending college were to receive a scholarship for bowling and to study marine biology, so Monmouth was a dream come true.
The Gulf Coast is the closest beach to us in North Richland, and that’s a seven-hour drive. Being able to visit the ocean anytime I want is my favorite thing about being a student at Monmouth. It’s absolutely amazing.
Don’t worry, be happy.
I can get a little nervous during warm-ups when I bowl, and I can also get fired up when an opponent rolls the worst shot imaginable and still gets a strike. To calm myself, I like to tell jokes to break up the tension and reset my focus. I seem to be a better bowler when I’m happy.
Eat Mor Chikin
Whenever possible, I eat Chick-fil-A for my pregame meals. My mom has always stressed the importance of breakfast, so Chick-fil-A biscuits is my go-to in the morning. I’m a big Raising Cane’s fan as well, but they don’t have too many in New Jersey.
Not the GOAT, a goat.
I have a lot of pets at home. Besides my goat, Blue Bell, I have three cats: G, Moonlight, and Coco. I also have a rabbit and a horse. I absolutely love animals and want to spend my career doing rescue work. I have an internship at Jenkinson’s Aquarium this coming fall, and I will be feeding, cleaning, and stimulating penguins, sea lions, birds, and even sloths.
That’s just like, her opinion, man.
I watched “The Big Lebowski” and I really didn’t get it, but any movie about bowling is awesome. “Dolphin Tale” is probably my favorite movie. My dream job is to work at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida, where they filmed the movie. I would love to work there and help rescue and rehabilitate mammals and animals.
The Jersey way.
I love the people here, but I’ve learned that I don’t need to stop and turn my music down when someone says hello or asks how I’m doing. It’s just a courtesy. They really don’t want to know. In Texas, people always want to talk to you. Here, they want to say hi and move on. It’s the Jersey way.
Twangs and tumbleweed.
People here always mention that they’re surprised I don’t have a Texas accent. I’m from the Fort Worth area, so we don’t have a slow, Southern drawl. That’s more on the east coast side of the state that borders Louisiana. I also get asked if I’ve seen tumbleweed, which I think is hilarious.
“No bagel, no bagel, no bagel!”
Before coming to New Jersey, I had never eaten a bagel. Turns out, I love them. My favorite is an everything bagel with butter.
The things I miss most.
What I’ll miss about New Jersey this summer is how much green is here with the grass, tree foliage, and beautiful flowers. There’s not much green in Texas. I also love seeing the chipmunks and squirrels running around here.
The things I’ve missed most about Texas are my mom, my friends, my boyfriend, and of course my pets. I also cannot wait to have some chicken with white gravy. I didn’t know what I was missing with bagels, but people from New Jersey don’t know what they’re missing if they haven’t tried white gravy. It’s the best.