What started as playing pool in the basement has grown into something much bigger for three Austin high school students.

After years of playing together, Jake Smith, Jacob Legried and Kane Erickson-Legried eventually picked up competitive pool and they had their best showing as a team when they took third place in the three-person team division at the Valley National Eight Ball Association International Junior Tournament at the Verizon Wireless Convention Center in Mankato June 16.

The tournament featured nearly 600 players and the Austin trio, which took fifth in the 2010 the International Junior Tournament, went unbeaten until the finals.

“I was intimidated the first game,” Jake Smith, who will be a junior this fall, said. “I kind of got the shakes and everything. After the first rack, I shook it off and was comfortable.”

The tournament is played in a format where all three players are playing at the same time and matches are played to 90. Each game won is worth 10 points and each ball knocked in by the losing team is worth one point.

“We had high expectations this year and we fulfilled it, we were happy to pull it out for Austin, for Minnesota and for DNR Star, which sponsors our league,” Kane said. “Next year we hope to get first.”

Kane added a solid individual run in the tournament as he took fifth place in singles play. Singles games don’t have the point system and a player either wins and advances or loses and doesn’t.

“Usually you’re thinking about the team because we’re all playing together and it’s a lot of fun,” Kane, who will be a junior this fall, said. “But singles is a really big one too and that’s what I usually think about when I first get there. You’ve got to be strategic because it doesn’t matter how you win, you just have to win.”

Kane’s performance served as big motivation to Jacob Legried, who has spent a lot of time practicing by himself playing better.

“I’m very serious about it. But I didn’t put as much effort before it this year as Kane did and he did a lot better,” Jacob Legried, who will be a senior this fall, said. “I shoot by myself a lot and if you put a lot of effort towards it you get better. (Practicing alone) is two times the practice because you’re not waiting for someone to miss.”

While the three have played together since they were kids, they didn’t think about playing seriously until they played in a cancer benefit a few years back and found it to be fun. Kane and Jacob Legried played league pool for a year before Jake Smith joined them two years ago.

Before long, the three were watching professional pool on television and getting as much practice time in as they could.

“We’ve always been screwing around on a pool table for as long as I can remember, since we were little kids,” Jake Smith said. “We had a lot of fun at the (cancer benefit) competition and we wanted to get better and better. We kept going with it and learned from really good family members who were amazing teachers.”

The third place finish at the International Junior Tournament was especially big for the team, because it’s a culmination of the whole season and it’s the biggest tournament that VNEA holds.

Next year, the International Junior Tournament will be held in Lincoln, Neb. and the trio from Austin will likely be back with the hopes of winning.

“We’ve gotten way better and the guys that beat us this year are moving up to the higher division next year,” Jacob Legried said.

Since Austin doesn’t have a pool hall, it’s a little difficult for area youths to find a place to play. But Jacob Legried, Jake Smith and Kane have made their way by playing at The Ville, the Eagles Club, and at relatives houses who have pool tables.

When Kane first began to play against adults, some of them were skeptical. But soon they learned that he had some skills.

“When I show up (to play adults) most people know me now,” he said. “But when I did it my first year I kind of shocked everyone because I could make shots consistently. I wasn’t the best and I’m still not, but everyone knows me now and they’re not going to take it easy on me.”

Kane has learned a lot of things about pool, but he is still working on the hardest part of the game. He doesn’t throw his cue or anything, but he has had some problems with losing his cool when things go wrong.

It’s a part of the game he hopes to eventually master.

“You’ve gotta be very patient and very respectful. The most difficult part is that you’ve got to think you’re playing the table and not the other person,” he said. “It’s you and the table and you’re in control. The biggest problem is yourself and you have to stay calm.”

Besides playing with each other, the trio is hoping that more Austin youths will join the local youth league this coming year. It will be played in the Eagles Club and it starts in December.

“If you get into it and you’re not very good, you’ve just got to keep playing,” Kane said. “If anyone wants help, just find one of us and we’ll help you out.”

Jacob Legried said that anyone interested in playing can contact Lisa Legried at the Eagles Club or Jason Legried at The Ville.