ODESSA, Texas (June 19, 2025) – Jonas Krahofer of The University of Texas Permian Basin men's tennis team and Brooke Runyan of The University of Texas Permian Basin women's tennis team have been recognized as recipients of the 2024-25 Lone Star Conference Scholar-Athlete Award presented annually by the Conference and the student-athlete's institution. Both Krahofer and Runyan graduated from UTPB this past May, and both earned 4.0 GPA's in each semester of the 2024-25 academic year.

Each academic year, the conference presents a Scholar-Athlete award to one male and one female student-athlete who is a member of the graduating class at each LSC member institution. Award recipients are selected by their campus and represent outstanding accomplishments in scholarship. athletics, and leadership. Honorees must have participated for at least two years in their sport.

In addition to representing each of the 17 Lone Star Conference institutions, the 2024-25 award recipients represent 15 of the 19 championship sports sponsored by the league. Included are three NCAA Elite 90 Award recipients; a College Sports Communicators Academic Player of the Year; CSC Academic All-America and All-District honorees; and individuals named to their sport's LSC All-Academic team. The Class of 2025 honorees also led their respective teams to NCAA Division II national and regional titles in addition to LSC tournament and season championships.

Jonas Krahofer – 2024-25 Lone Star Conference Scholar-Athlete Award
Krahofer, a senior from Winklarn, Austria, held a 3.97 cumulative grade point average as an exercise science major. Krahofer was named First-Team All-Lone Star Conference in doubles this season with Jonathan Vega. Krahofer went 12-5 overall in singles this season (3-1 at No. 2 singles; 5-0 at No. 4 singles; 4-4 at No. 5 singles) and was 14-3 in doubles matches. He went a combined 13-3 in doubles with Vega as the pair was also 12-3 at No. 1 doubles. In the LSC, Krahofer was 4-3 in singles (3-3 at No. 5 singles) and was 6-2 at No. 1 doubles with Vega.

At the 2024 ITA South Central Regional Championships this past Fall, Krahofer advanced to the quarterfinals of the Singles Flight A Back Draw while he and Sergio Alejandro Gonzalez Ibanez were seeded No. 3 and advanced to the semifinals of the Doubles Flight A Main Draw. This Spring season, Krahofer was 4-0 to start the season, going 2-0 in both singles and doubles, including a 6-1, 6-1 win over the No. 39-ranked singles player in the NAIA in a 6-1 win over Arizona Christian University (ranked No. 22 in the NAIA). Krahofer was named the UTPB Men's Student-Athlete of the Month for February after going a combined 9-1 (5-0 doubles; 4-1 singles) during the first month of the season. In a big 4-3 victory over No. 38 Cameron University, the second win in program history for UTPB over Cameron, Krahofer and Vega won 6-1 over the No. 26 nationally-ranked duo at No. 1 doubles before Krahofer rolled to a big 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 5 singles to clinch the match. Then in a 5-2 win over No. 15 nationally-ranked Midwestern State University, the first regular-season win in program history over the Mustangs, Krahofer and Vega defeated the No. 19 nationally-ranked doubles pair 6-3 at No. 1 doubles while Krahofer added a comeback win in a third-set super tiebreaker, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 1-0 (10-8), at No. 5 singles. As a doubles pair, Krahofer and Vega were ranked as high as No. 18 in the nation before ranking at No. 30 heading into the postseason and ending the year at No. 25 nationally. They also finished the season ranked No. 4 in the South Central Region for doubles.

Krahofer was named to the 2023-24 Lone Star Conference All-Academic Team and was an ITA Scholar-Athlete. He also made the LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll in Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, each time with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

UTPB's Head Tennis Coach Chris Tolson said, "I am proud of Jonas. He worked extremely hard, and being able to graduate in only three years in something special. Jonas was extremely disciplined and mature both on and off the court, which led him to a great tennis career and education at UTPB."

Brooke Runyan – 2024-25 Lone Star Conference Scholar-Athlete Award
Runyan, a senior from Devine, Texas, was a biology major who held a 3.93 cumulative grade point average. Runyan was a two-time team captain and leader of the team, and was named Honorable Mention All-LSC for doubles this season with Paige Bott. In addition, Runyan was also named to the Sportsmanship Team and to the All-Academic Team. She was 5-10 (2-7 LSC) at No. 1 singles this season and was 9-6 in doubles. She was a combined 8-2 in doubles with Bott as the pair went 6-1 at No. 1 doubles. In the LSC, Runyan and Bott were 6-2 overall in doubles and were 4-1 at No. 1 doubles. Thanks in large part to Runyan's and Bott's efforts, the Falcons women's tennis team earned the doubles point in six of their 10 conference matches this season.

This Spring, Runyan won at No. 1 singles and also teamed with Bott to defeat the No. 24-ranked duo in the NAIA at No. 1 doubles as the Falcons took down the No. 18-ranked team in the NAIA, Our Lady of the Lake University, by a score of 4-2. Runyan also earned a win at both No. 2 doubles and No. 1 singles as UTPB defeated Cameron University 5-2 for the first win over the Aggies in program history. Against No. 2 Midwestern State University, Runyan and Bott won 7-5 over the No. 13 nationally-ranked doubles pair in NCAA Division II at No. 1 doubles. At No. 25 The University of Texas at Tyler, Runyan and Bott earned a 6-4 upset win over the No. 17 nationally-ranked doubles pair at No. 1 doubles, their second win over a nationally-ranked doubles opponent this season. UTPB's lone win of the day in the season-finale at No. 34 Dallas Baptist University was a 6-4 win by Runyan and Bott at No. 1 doubles over the No. 6-ranked doubles pair in the South Central Region from the Fall season. Runyan and Bott broke into the national doubles rankings at No. 50, later moved up to No. 36, and finished the season ranked No. 41. They also finished the year ranked No. 7 in doubles in the South Central Region. Runyan has been named to the Lone Star Conference Preseason Players to Watch list in both 2024 and 2025, and was ranked No. 20 in singles in the South Central Region following the Fall 2024 season.

Runyan has been an ITA Scholar-Athlete each year, and has made the LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll in Spring 2023 (4.0 GPA), Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024 (4.0 GPA) and Spring 2025 (4.0 GPA). She is a member of the UTPB Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), participating in community service activities around the Odessa community. She also worked as a tutor and peer leader for the UTPB student success center.

"I am extremely proud of Brooke as well," spoke Coach Tolson. "She was always one of the hardest workers on the team. She was always spending the extra time both on and off the court to succeed. From talking to previous coaches at UTPB, because of Brooke's hard work, she went from barely making the team as a freshman to being a nationally-ranked player as a senior. She is the best example of what a great student-athlete is."