After getting a quality, slate-top pool table while Jimmy Carter was still President of the United States in the early 1980s, Oxford resident Randy Davisson has made a habit of playing pool. Today, he says he plays almost daily after getting a little exercise in.

Recently, all of that pool playing paid off at the Michigan Senior Olympics, which took place Feb. 6-11. Davisson took his second gold at the event’s billiards competition this year in the 80-84 age bracket. Winners are determined based one who can win two out of three games.

“This year I had to play a fellow by the name of Robert Williams and he lives over by Lake Huron,” Davisson said. “He has beaten me on previous occasions. He is really good. But, for some reason, I was able to win.”

As an 82-year-old, Davisson said he plays with an increasingly smaller bunch of guys every year. Last year, he took gold simply because he was the only one to show up on the day of the competition.

“There’s not a lot of people left who can stand up and shoot pool,” he said.

Regardless of the short list of competitors, Davisson and Williams weren’t playing around during their face-off. Only one can walk away with a gold medal, and Davisson was determined to get it. He describes himself as “pretty much an old school, straight shooter” who stays focused while he plays.

“I was extremely nervous,” he recalled. “But somehow I prevailed. I was adulated, just really excited, you know, that I persisted and stayed with (pool) that long, and finally won.”

Even though his age bracket is small, Davisson said the Michigan Senior Olympics is a social event full of friendly people. Michigan Senior Olympics Executive Director Becky Ridky told the Leader before the event that most competitors just go to have a good time and make friends.

“We warm up by playing other age groups… So you play most of the guys that are there. We’re competitive, but nobody is obnoxious,” Davisson said.

Davisson goes to compete, but also goes every year because he loves pool and billiards. He plans to pass his gold medals down to his eight great-grandchildren in the hopes they might also develop a love for the game he plays every day.