April 30, 2008

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- University of New Mexico women's tennis head coach Kathy Kolankiewicz announced today that two recruits have signed National Letters of Intent. Eliane G. Bourdages and Manumea M. Durie have both chosen to play collegiate tennis at New Mexico and will join the team in August.

Eliane Bourdages, a native of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, currently attends Felix-Leclerc High School. She plays tennis for head coach Simon Laurendeau at the Momentum Tennis Academy in Repentigny, Quebec. She has had a ranking of No. 1 in Quebec in the U14 group. In the U16 group she has been as high as No. 14.

Bourdages won the 2008 Quebec Indoor Championship U18. She won the Outdoor Championship in 2006 and 2007. She was named Student of the Year the past two years at Felix-Leclerc High School.

"I chose New Mexico because it has a good tennis team in a strong conference as well as good academic programs," commented Bourdages.

Manumea Marama Durie is a native of Feilding, Manawatu. Durie graduated from The New Zealand Correspondence School- Tu Toa in 2007. Her father Rawiri is her coach. Manumea won the New Zealand Hardcourt both in the U14 and U16 groups. She was a member of the New Zealand World Team U14. She was named School Ethos (Top Student) in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

"The University is highly regarded in Academics, " said Durie. "The tennis coaching staff and the players of the UNM woman's tennis team has been extremely nice. UNM has the type of team environment I would like to be apart of."