League captain Berry Wanless, 79, leads two teams to nationals

05 Sep League captain Berry Wanless, 79, leads two teams to nationals

Posted at 15:44h in Local, Missouri Valley, National by
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As the World’s Healthiest Sport, tennis is timeless. It’s one of the few sports you can excel in whether you’re 5 or 95.

Berry Wanless fell in love with tennis at a young age and remains a dominant force on the courts nearly 70 years after he first picked up a racquet.

“I started playing tennis when I was 10 years old and am self-taught,” Wanless said. “I used to ride my bike to our local country club in the morning and play tennis, then ride over to our public courts in the afternoon and play.”

Originally from Springfield, Illinois, Wanless’ tennis talents earned him a spot on the University of Miami men’s tennis team in Florida. Following college, he returned to Springfield to teach tennis, then moved to Columbia, Missouri and eventually to Topeka, Kansas.

In the 1980s, Wanless started playing in USTA Leagues, and many of his teams have found incredible success in the years since.

“In 2000, our Kansas 50+ team won the 4.5 USTA National Championship in Palm Springs,” he said. “Since then, I’ve been on several different teams at different levels as I have gotten older.

“In 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023 and now 2025, our 55+ 7.0 teams qualified for nationals. Our 65+ 7.0 teams qualified in 2017, 2019 and 2020. And our 65+ 6.0 team has qualified for the 2025 national championship tournament.”

Wanless is captain of both teams advancing to the USTA League National Championships this year, alongside co-captain Gary Shipp on the 55 & Over Men’s 7.0 team and co-captain Duane Pomeroy on the 65 & Over Men’s 6.0 team.

Both teams, which play out of their home clubs of Genesis Topeka and Kossover Tennis Center, will play for their respective national titles later on. The 55 & Over 7.0 team will compete on Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 in Scottsdale, Arizona. And the 65 & Over 6.0 team will play Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 (2026) in Surprise, Arizona.

At 79 years old, Wanless is still as passionate about tennis as ever.

“Even at my age, I still enjoy playing,” he said.

  • USTA Kansas captain Berry Wanless has guided two teams to nationals this year, including a 55 & Over Men's 7.0 team.