BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 29, 2020)-Bowling in a general sense is a fun game. You're rolling a ball down a slick lane and reach a high score of 300. Seems simple right?

But for Diamond Hunter, the game is more than just that. She's a collegiate bowler and one of the top stars for the Morgan State Lady Bears. And as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is one of the most competitive bowling conferences in the nation, it's a tough task. Through the growth, Hunter has grown into a serious and focused bowler on the lanes. And for her, it's all about the mental.  

Diamond was born and raised in Long Island, New York. Her first exposure to bowling was through her mother and grandmother. Her family bowled frequently. So at around the age of five, she started bowling. She casually bowled and then in high school, she started taking the sport seriously.

While finishing up high school, Hunter was mixed on going to college. She understood the importance but was a little confused if that was the next step for her.

With that, came an unexpected opportunity: Getting a college scholarship to bowl.

After speaking to her mom, she started to look for bowling programs in her home area. After not finding much progress, she contacted then MSU bowling coach Wendell Burke. The rest is history.

Although being cautious about leaving her home area, she arrived to Baltimore and put her best foot forward.

When recalling her first exposure to the college game, Hunter talked about the true seriousness of the level of play.

"I didn't realize how serious it got," said Hunter.

Through the changes, Hunter was ready. When speaking about her observations, she noticed how mental the game was.

"There's so much to think about."

With that, she made adjustments. She studies tape of herself and constantly takes notes of where she needs to adjust. She's serious about her game and due to that she "blocks out" the noise.

Now a senior, Diamond believes that she's grown to be better under pressure.

"Whatever you gain, you gain. But get the best outcome you can make," said Hunter.

With her strong mental abilities, that's translated into her performance so far this season.

She led all Baker scoring from the anchor position during the Mount Shootout to start the season. Hunter had a Baker frame average of 20.57 for 42 frames. She struck in the 10th frame 13 times in 22 attempts and led the team in filled frame percentage.

During the MEAC #1 event in early January, she posted an impressive 21.06 Baker frame average for 77 frames bowled through the weekend. During that same weekend, the Lady Bears defeated nationally-ranked UAB. She finished in the Top-20 in the tournament.

At the recent Red Flash Invitational, she finished in Top-15 with a 180.4 average overall.

But for Diamond, she wants to see her team succeed, which is most important to her. Diamond finds joy in her teammate's success. Her personal growth and team progression matter to her.

The Lady Bears are now 9-7 since the break. They were 4-15 in their first semester matches. The positive turnaround is a boost to everyone, including Hunter.

With the growth, she credits new coach Thomas Falbo for playing a significant role during her senior season.
 
"He's great; he's helped out a lot," said Hunter.

Overall, bowling is a mental game. And for Diamond Hunter, that's the key to success.