Source: https://utahutes.com/news/2025/12/12/spencer-fano-named-utah-footballs-first-outland-trophy-recipient

Annual award recognizes college football’s top interior lineman

OMAHA, Neb. — The Greater Omaha Sports Committee revealed that Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano has been selected as the 2025 Outland Trophy recipient as part of ESPN's College Football Awards Show on Friday evening. Fano is the first member of the program to receive the honor, which is presented each year to the nation's best interior lineman. 

He was informed of the news by his brother and teammate, defensive end Logan Fano, while surrounded by about 40 family members inside the Spence and Cleone Eccles Football Center.

"Winning this trophy means the world to me," Fano said. "Since I first started playing offensive tackle as a kid, attaining this trophy has been one of my biggest goals. Being in this position is truly surreal and it's hard to put what I'm feeling into words. I'm just so incredibly grateful and blessed to be surrounded by incredible people. To me this is a group accomplishment. I never would have reached something like this without my parents, my siblings, my coaches, my teammates and most of all my Heavenly Father. Thank you so much and Go Utes!"

Fano, a junior and native of Spanish Fork, Utah, has started all 12 regular season games at right tackle for the Utes as the team reengineered its offensive attack heading into the 2025 season. Voted by the league's coaches as the 2025 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and first-team All-Conference, Fano protected for an offense that averaged 478.6 total yards per game—ranking seventh nationally during the regular season. To date, it is an improvement of 148.8 yards per game, the highest year-over-year change at Utah since at least 1996.
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At a recent meeting of the Omaha Downtown Rotary, Kris Pojar was proudly presented with her permanent Rotary badge after completing the rigorous Red Badge requirements. Earning a permanent badge represents a meaningful milestone and signals a deeper level of commitment to Rotary’s principle of Service Above Self.

The badge was presented by her sponsor, Jill Slupe, with Presiding Officer Cella Quinn officiating the presentation. This recognition reflects Kris’s dedication, follow-through, and commitment to fully engaging as a new member of Rotary by completing all required steps.

The moment also highlights the culture of encouragement and accountability within the Omaha Downtown Rotary community. Congratulations to Kris on reaching this significant milestone and for her ongoing dedication to service.

Christmas Tree Recycling 2025 to 2026
By Yolanda Hoffman, Omaha Nebraska Jan. 5, 2026

Service Above Self in sub zero conditions

Our annual Christmas Tree Recycling project once again demonstrated Rotary at its very best. Over the last weekend of December 2025 and the first weekend of January 2026, Rotarians and community partners came together to divert thousands of Christmas trees from landfills while serving the City of Omaha in some of the coldest conditions of the season.

December 28 was particularly challenging, with sub zero temperatures and severe wind chill. Despite the brutal weather, volunteers showed up, stayed engaged, and worked continuously to keep the operation running safely and efficiently. We are especially grateful to Units Omaha for providing a warming station, which allowed volunteers to rotate, warm up, and continue serving throughout the day.

This annual environmental project is made possible through strong partnerships with the City of Omaha and the Boy Scouts of America, whose Scouts worked alongside Rotarians hauling, stacking, and managing the steady flow of recycled trees.

The project opened with a full staff shift on December 27 led by Project Chair John Mock, joined by Jim Cavanaugh, Tom Gouttierre, and Larry Guenther, whose leadership ensured a strong and organized start. The concluding shift on January 4 was a memorable one, led by our two mayors -  Mayor John Ewing Jr. and Mayor Hal Daub, alongside John Sullivan and Lisa Schiele, bringing this year’s effort to a meaningful close.

We extend our sincere thanks to the many volunteers who gave their time, energy, and good humor in extreme winter conditions. Our gratitude goes to Jeremy Bouman, Colleen Brennan, Jim Cavanaugh, Todd Chaney, Hal Daub, Justin Dougherty, John Ewing Jr., Brett Frevert, Tom Gouttierre, Mark Gudgel, Larry Guenther, Bill Harvey, Scott Kinnaird, Liesel Kittlitz, Bodey Koesters, Susan Koesters, Ryan Lemmon, James Mackiewicz, John Mock, Duncan Murphy, Charlie Peters Jr., Christopher Rath, Sarah Robak, Richard Sampson, Lisa Schiele, Dakotah Smith, Jim Stewart, John Sullivan, Elizabeth Swedlund, Josh Todd, and Russell Vaughn.

Thank you for showing up, braving the cold, and once again proving that Rotary service makes a lasting difference in our community.