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Natalie Thompson long knew her college days would likely include an athletic career. What she didn’t know is what sport she would be playing in doing so.

At least not until she stepped onto a tennis court.

“I think as soon as I picked up the racquet, I was ready to do something with it,” Thompson said. “I had a goal and I was going to achieve it.

“I’ve always known that I was going to play a sport in college. It’s kind of just the Thompson legacy. I liked tennis and I stuck with it. I thought it was going to be softball, but I haven’t played that in very long time. I like tennis.”

Tennis liked her back, apparently – Thompson will be continuing her career at Randolph College, making that decision official Monday during a signing ceremony with friends and family in the Polk County High School auditorium. She is the first Polk County girls player to head for a college tennis career since Alivia Livesay in 2015.

Thompson’s decision to head to Randolph comes on the heels of a successful senior season. Playing at No. 4 and No. 5 singles this season, Thompson posted a 9-3 record in singles play while also notching an 8-1 mark in doubles. Her 17 total wins were second highest for a Polk County team that finished 9-3 and reached the second round of the state 1A playoffs.

That performance created interest in Thompson for Randolph’s staff. Once Thompson visited the campus in Lynchburg, Va., that feeling was mutual.

“I was looking for some colleges in Virginia because that’s where my brother (former Polk County football/wrestling standout Trey Thompson) lives, and Randolph was one of the first ones that caught my eye,” Thompson said. “I really started thinking about it whenever the coach, he seemed really interested in having me play there. From the get-go, from his interest, it made me have them as my top (choice).

“And then I visited and I was like, yes, this is where I want to be. I could have verbally committed that day, but my mom (Amber) had the formality and had me think about it.”

Randolph College offers a unique academic environment with its TAKE2 program. Students take just two classes for seven weeks, with no sessions on Wednesdays, and then move on to two more classes the following seven weeks. That pattern continues throughout the year, providing what Randolph says is a structure more conducive to the modern student.

“I really like the TAKE2 program, I really like how they have Wednesdays off,” Thompson said. “That’s because as a smaller school, they have a lot of athletes. And so that’s the days they do games, matches. I just think that with my career focus, I wanted a school that was still going to be good at tennis and athletically challenging, but I didn’t want it to be my whole life because I need to focus more on my studies.

“So just everything with Randolph seemed really good to me. Just all the opportunities, all the scholarships they’re willing to give, it all just clicked.”

Thompson, the daughter of longtime Polk County coach Jamie Thompson, will be the third college athlete in the family. Older brother Trey played football at Averitt University while older sister Tori is part of Belmont Abbey’s cross country and track programs.

Thus Thompson, who plans to pursue a law career, is well aware of the lifestyle of the college athlete.

She’s ready for it.

“I’m just thankful to have this opportunity,” Thompson said. “It means that everything I’ve worked for, it meant something. All those hours I spent, my junior year especially, on a tennis court was well worth them.”