Nance Villirillo Wernes

Nance Villirillo Wernes ’80 was a dedicated and versatile student-athlete at Dowling Catholic, competing in cross country, volleyball, basketball, track and field, and softball. Across 16 athletic seasons, she earned nine varsity letters and was named All-Metro in volleyball. She was also recognized as an Aquinas Key Award winner and went on to continue her volleyball career at the collegiate level.

 

Wernes has remained a lifelong advocate for athletics and, in particular, opportunities for women and girls in sports. She founded the Kansas City Storm to provide women in the Kansas City area with the opportunity to play tackle football. She also founded the Kansas City Women’s Sports Association, which brought together adult women’s sports organizations across the region, including rugby, football, roller derby, lacrosse and swimming.

 

In addition to her work in athletics, Wernes has supported young athletes as a youth softball and basketball coach. She also launched SupportHer with Sports, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting women’s health, self-esteem and well-being through sports.

 

Professionally, Wernes is an executive-level IT professional and holds certifications as a Project Management Professional and SAFe Agilist.

 

Among her favorite memories of Dowling Catholic are late-night basketball practices and sharing the gym with other teams during an era when the school had so many athletes and only one gym. She also fondly remembers the softball team receiving its new stadium, energetic pep rallies and long track meets, when she and her teammates would occasionally retreat to the bus in the parking lot to study between events.

 

Today, Wernes continues to embrace athletics and recently recorded her first hole-in-one on a regulation golf course. Her lifelong commitment to sports, leadership and creating opportunities for others reflects the values she developed as a student-athlete at Dowling Catholic.