The Clearwater Aces took the floor at the 2025 National Senior Games taking aim at their ninth medal winning performance since 1999.

During the last 26 years, there have been plenty of roster moves with players coming and going.  Some couldn’t make it from their hometowns around the country, some succumbed to nagging injuries and others just aged out.

However, there’s been one constant, Harry Carothers, from Pinellas Park (pictured at right in red).  He joined the team in 1998 and played in his first National Senior Games in 1999, as a mere youngster, when the Aces played in the 55%2B age group.

For the 2025 National Senior Games, the team is playing in the 80%2B age group.
Carothers has some seasoned Aces veterans alongside him. Jim McNulty has been a member of the team since 2011, and Billy Smith, since 2015. Also joining the Aces in 2025 is Steve Figuera, Jimmy Woodruf and George Hawkins.

Along the way, the Aces have won eight medals since 1999, including gold medals in the last two National Senior Games, Fort Lauderdale in 2022 and Pittsburgh, in 2023.

They will play in an eight-team pool, playing three pool play games and then advance into an eight-team bracket. Also in the 75-79 age group is the longtime Aces nemesis over the years, the Detroit Metro team.

“We started playing them in the 2009 National Senior Games and beat them in an early game,” Carother said.  “They came through the losers bracket and beat us twice for the gold medal.  We’ve been going back and forth since then.”

The Aces got off to a good start on Tuesday winning their opening game against Old Gold by a 34-19 margin.  Midway through the second half the Aces, who led the whole game, clung to an 18-15 lead.  Hitting shots on the next three possessions, the lead increased to 24-15 and the Aces outscored the Old Gold, 16-4 late in the second half for the win.

In a rare occurrence, Carothers was on the bench for most of the first game.

“I play more when we’re playing against slower teams,” he said. “Knee and back surgeries in the last few years have slowed me down. I can’t keep up with some of the faster teams. I’ll get my time in.”

In their second pool play game of the day, the Aces defeated the Bucketmakers 41-26.  Carothers and the Aces play their final game of pool play on Wednesday, before entering bracket play on Thursday.

Besides his success with the Clearwater Aces, Carothers, the 2004 Florida Senior Games Male Athlete of the Year, has won 53 Basketball Shooting gold medals, since 1999.  He has won 15 in free throw shooting, 14 in spot field goal shooting and 24 in timed shooting.  He won gold medals in the timed field goal shooting every year from 1999 through 2018 and has won each year from 2021-24.  He did not compete in the 2019 or 2020 Games because of a back injury/surgery and the recovery time and a bout with Covid-19.

Carothers holds the all-time high score in timed field goal shooting with a score of 152 and had the overall best score in the 2024 Games in the 80-84 age group with a 136. He will compete in the inaugural National Senior Games Basketball Shooting Skills competition on Friday.

Also on the courts at the Prairie Trail Sports Complex, in Ankeny, the Villages Seabreeze Women’s 65%2B team won the Division 2 Gold Medal.  After winning two games and losing two in pool play, the Seabreeze won three games in bracket play to claim the gold medal.  They defeated the Get Along Gals in the Championship Game 45-19.

The 2025 National Senior Games will be in competition daily through August 4 in Des Moines.  A total of 713 athletes from Florida, the most of any state in the U.S. will be in action.  For full National Senior Games results, please visit www.nsga.com/nsgresults and follow the accomplishments of the Florida athletes on Facebook at www.facebook.com/playinflorida.