Randi Latiolais of New Iberia Senior High, seated second from left, signed a national letter of intent Friday to join the Henderson State swim team in Arkadelphia, Ark. Seated with Latiolais from left are her mother, Yvette Romero, swim coach Robert Looney and NISH swim team sponsor Kelly Thompson. Standing from left are Latiolais’ grandmother Betty Romero, her brother Luke Latiolais, her father Todd Latiolais and NISH Principal Curt Landry.

Randi Latiolais has been competing in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly for only a year, but the New Iberia Senior High senior has already parlayed that into the chance to swim competitively in college.

Latiolais signed a national letter of intent with Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., on Friday. If she meets national qualifying times, she said, she’ll earn athletic scholarship money to go with the academic financial aid she’s getting.

“It’s my best event,” Latiolais said after signing the letter of intent at NISH. “I used to swim the breast stroke. I was always OK at the butterfly.”

But she got significantly better at the butterfly after working hard and training every day, she said. Some of her teammates on the City of Lafayette (COLA) swim team compete at Henderson State, and COLA coach Robert Looney talked highly of the university’s swim program, she said.

A trip to the school, located southwest of Little Rock, convinced her it would be a good place to compete. The school is a member of NCAA Division II’s Great American Conference.

“The campus was beautiful,” Latiolais said. “I didn’t want to go too far (from home), but just far enough to where (the family) would have to call (before they) visit.”

Her first goal for college is to get a swim scholarship. After that, she said, she just wants to get faster.

“A big dream is the Olympics, but that’s a long way away,” Latiolais said.

Latiolais plans to major in criminal justice.

With college coming soon, she’s excited about the opportunity she’s received.

“I never would’ve thought I’d get the chance to swim in college,” Latiolais said. “It’s amazing.”