Caution: There is a pool shark in Boothbay this summer! Taylor Reynolds, 20, of Winslow is a a two-time Junior National 9-ball champion. She lived in Boothbay until age 9. This summer, the pool champ returned to spend her college break working with her father Steve Reynolds at his Patriot Flooring shop.

Reynolds parlayed her pool-playing ability into a partial college scholarship at Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri. Lindenwood is one of the top powers in collegiate billiards. This year, Lindenwood had the top men’s and women’s players. In 2016, Reynolds was the Association of College Unions International Collegiate 9-ball Women’s Championship runner-up. She lost to teammate Brianna Miller who won her fourth consecutive title in June.

Despite leaving Boothbay 11 years ago, Reynolds still has people who remember her. “I met someone on the street the other day who asked me, ‘Aren’t you Taylor Reynolds,’” she said. But in the world of billiards, she is recognized as a top competitor. In 2011, she became the Billiards Educational Foundation National 14 and under champion, and in 2014, won the 18 and under national title.

Regionally, she won the 2010 New England Seacoast Women’s 9-ball championship. In 2011, Taylor Reynolds captured the Maine 8-ball Women’s Championship. She has also competed three times in the World Pool Association Junior 9-ball Championships. In 2011, she competed in Kielce, Poland. In 2013, Reynolds battled in Johannesburg, South Africa. And in 2014, the tournament was held in Shanghai, China.

Reynolds describes international competition as being “by far” more intense than national tournaments. She says the international double elimination tournaments often pit her against top opponents from unknown places around the globe.

“In the U.S., you play against opponents you’re familiar with. So you know who are the toughest competitors. It’s much different internationally. There are one or two great players from countries you’ve never heard of. So for that reason, the pressure is greater because every match is tough,” she said.

But how does a young girl from Boothbay or Winslow, Maine become one of the top international billiards players? According to Reynolds, it takes great passion and commitment to the game. She began playing as a 4-year-old with dad in the family basement. Steve Reynolds accommodated Taylor’s small stature to make pool a more competitive game between father and daughter.

“He let me stand on the furniture so I could reach the table. And at first, I didn’t use the cue ball. I just shot the balls right into the pockets,” she said.

It wasn’t long before Reynolds started to play pool like a champ. She played every day and eventually got so good her parents made a major decision. They purchased TJ’s Classic Billiards in Waterville to cultivate their daughter’s talent. She began playing games with the locals, and eventually started playing for money, and often times won the purse in local games.

When TJ’s hosted a professional tournament, her mother Tammy Reynolds entered 9-year-0ld Taylor. And in her first match, she won. By the time Reynolds entered Lawrence High School, she was already the top junior player in the country. But as a teenager, she was a sharpshooter in another sport. She played on Lawrence’s 2015 State Champion Class A basketball team. When it came time for college, she had to decide whether to pursue a basketball or billiards scholarship.

In high school, she also competed in track and cross country. But her favorite sport remained billiards.

“I’ve always liked the aspect of pool being an individual sport. I like whether I win or lose it’s all on me. You don’t depend on teammates or a coach putting you in the game,” she said.

As a college student, Reynolds is still passionate about billiards, but the focus is now more on academics and her future. She is studying business management and is using her education this summer as Patriot Flooring’s business manager.