Te Puke-born tennis player Bonnie Phillips Boyer has been inducted into Southeastern Louisiana University Hall of Fame.
Te Puke-born tennis player Bonnie Phillips Boyer has been inducted into Southeastern Louisiana University Hall of Fame.
A Te Puke woman has the rare honour of being inducted into the hall of fame at a university in the United States.
Bonnie Phillips Boyer, 36, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame at Southeastern Louisana University (SLU) for her contribution to tennis, from 2005-2008.
She was presented with a special blazer and a plaque at the Inaugural Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet.
“This was certainly one of the most meaningful and personal honours I’ve ever received and I’m really proud and flattered to have been inducted. My parents gave me the opportunity to play tennis, and I’ll forever be grateful for the years dedicated to the sport and for all the life lessons I learned along the way,” Boyer said.
“She has done absolutely amazing, to get inducted into the hall of fame at a university in America, I mean how many sportspeople [in New Zealand] earn that achievement, let alone academically as well,” said her mother Karen Phillips.
Bonnie was the first SLU women’s tennis player to be named first-team All-Southland Conference in singles play in three consecutive seasons. A two-time All-SLC doubles, All-Louisiana and SLC All-Academic selection, she ranks third in the school’s history with 74 career singles wins.
She was a key member of the squad that won 48 consecutive conference matches on the way to three regular season championships, three tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
The 2023 class will be inducted at the inaugural Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame. The banquet will be an annual tradition on the second Saturday of August and provide special recognition to those receiving the highest honour for Lion and Lady Lion athletes.
“I was never the most naturally talented tennis player. It took courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, and guts to win matches. Qualities I hope to instill in my boys. This induction couldn’t have happened without my parents and coaches along the way,” Bonnie said in a Facebook Post.
Bonnie Phillips Boyer giving her acceptance speech during the Inaugural Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet.
Bonnie waited seven years before being recognised in the Hall of Fame.
“She is now the first ever tennis player to be inducted into the Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame. It is incredible and she did it all by herself. Her whole family are in New Zealand, she worked really hard over in Louisana,” Karen said.
Bonnie grew up in Te Puke, attending primary and intermediate schools there.
From there she went on to attend Tauranga Girls College, where she played number 1 for her five years at the college.
All her tennis through her school years was primarily at Mount Maunganui Tennis Club under coach Marcel Vos.
Bonnie would also travel to Auckland to compete.
“I was taking her up to Auckland because she was playing in the Caro Bowl for two years in her senior years while at high school. Caro Bowl is Auckland’s premier interclub competition featuring some of New Zealand’s top players,” Karen said.
In 2005 when she was 18 years old, she received a scholarship and attended Southeastern Louisana University, where she succeeded academically and through tennis.
Bonnie Phillips plays at the Otumoetai Tennis Courts in the Rosebowl event in November 2004.
In 2008, Bonnie went on to graduate with a double degree in Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a masters in Business Administrating - Accounting.
She then moved to Miami, Florida, where she passed CPA (Certified Practicing Accountancy) exams. Also, she gained her Certified Public Accountant licence in Florida.
“Academically, no one else has ever done what she did, as America starts in August, and she missed the first semester. But also sporting-wise, she had an amazing tennis record,” says Karen
Upon leaving Southeastern Louisiana University, she landed a job at KPMG in Miami, Florida.
She doesn’t have much time to play tennis these days, as a mother of two young boys and a busy fulltime job as a VP and corporate controller for a large US-based company.
