There was plenty of Basketball played at the Prairie Trail Sports Complex over 10 days at the 2025 National Senior Games.
Florida was well represented by 10 men’s and women’s teams, ranging from 55 years old through 85. Three Florida teams claimed the top of the medal stand winning gold medals.
The GZR Men’s 60+ team (pictured at right), the Villages Seabreeze Women’s 65+ team and the Clearwater Aces Men’s 80+ team won gold while the Broward Heat Women’s 60+ and Golden Seabreeze 75+ Women’s team earned a bronze medal.
Undefeated over the last four years of Florida Senior Games competition, GZR Basketball continued its winning ways at the National Senior Games.
Six of its seven wins came by double digits en route to its first Gold Medal. The only single digit victory was in the Championship Game, 46-38, against the Roadrunners from New Mexico.
GZR Basketball won bronze medals in 2022 and 2023. In those two events, the team was without Mike Kelly, from Bellaire Beach, who, teamed with EJ Tarpey, the 2022 Florida Senior Games Male Athlete of the Year, from Vero Beach, and David Jackson, from St. Petersburg, to create a formidable trio.
“We have three guys who are hard to guard and able to score,” Kelly said. “EJ is the most savvy post player I’ve ever seen. I’m a good mid-range shooter and DJ (David Jackson) is a three-point assassin. If the opposition moves into the post on EJ, he can kick it out to one of us for a shot.”
The core three of GZR Basketball have a lifetime of basketball experience. Tarpey and Kelly played college basketball and all three have been active in Master’s Basketball and Florida Senior Games basketball since the 50-54 age group.
“We have three guys that can shoot and score,” Kelly said. “Most teams have one, maybe two, consistent scorers,”
Besides the Florida residents, Tarpey, Kelley and Jackson, GZR Basketball also features Roger McDonald and Kerry Prince, from Utah, who the team met at the Huntsman World Senior Games.
The Clearwater Aces have been a fixture in the Florida Senior Games and National Senior Games since 1999 and turned in a “Three Peat,” at the 2025 National Senior Games with their third consecutive gold medal. The Aces also went undefeated in seven games and got stronger as they advanced.
In their first four games, the Aces won by an average of 23 points and turned it up in their last three with wins by an average of 44 points. The Aces scored 80 points in a win against the Threshers, from Illinois. They defeated Detroit Metro 49-24 in the championship game.
“With six guys, we are able to split time evenly,” said longtime Aces team member, and 2004 Florida Senior Games Male Athlete of the Year, Harry Carothers, from Pinellas Park. “We all play at the same level and when we substitute three for three we don’t lose anything.
The Aces were one of 16 teams among the total field of 114 men’s teams to reach 80%2B points. All of the other 15 teams were in the 65+ and below age groups.
“Jim Woodruff won his first gold medal with us,” Carothers said. “He’s a year younger than the rest of us. In 2023, he had not yet turned 80 and in the previous National Senior Games he had a family matter. He’s really quick and a spark plug on the floor.”
Members of the Clearwater Aces include, Carothers, Woodruff, Steve Figura, George Hawkins, Bobby Smith and Jim McNulty, from Longboat Key.
The Villages Seabreeze caught fire in bracket play to win the Division 2 Gold Medal of the Women’s 65+ Division. After going 2-2 in pool play, the Seabreeze won their three bracket play games for the gold medal. They defeated the Get Along Gals, from Illinois, 45-19, in the Championship Game.
With nine players on their roster, the Seabreeze wore down opponents with full team substitutions, using three rounds of three players at a time.
Mattie Lenhardt, of Hallandale, was one of three members of The Villages Seabreeze to win two basketball medals in Des Moines. She, along with Billie Smith and Debra Gilbert, also played for the bronze-medal winning Broward Heat 60+ team.
While admitting to a long list of ailments, including a torn rotator cuff in her left shoulder, back problems and “messed up knees,” Lenhardt played in 14 games over two weeks to earn the gold and bronze medals.
“You can call me crazy or whatever,” Lenhardt said. “I enjoyed it all and that’s what matters. You can take all of our team members and won’t find one good body among us. We keep smiling and playing. I’m out there blocking shots and playing through the pain.”
While there was a variety of agony of defeat moments, be it aches and pains, missed free throws or turnovers, there were plenty of thrill of victory moments for Florida’s basketball teams at the National Senior Games.
Florida Basketball Results at the 2025 National Senior Games
The Go Getters (Orlando area), Mens 55+, Fifth Place
Burlington Boys, Delray Beach, Men’s 60+, Ninth Place
USA Global, Indian River Shores, Men’s 60+, Fourth Place
GZR Basketball, Bellaire Beach, Men’s 60+, Gold Medal
Clearwater Aces, Largo, Men’s 80+, Gold Medal
Johnson’s Olympians, Naples, Men’s 85+, Fourth Place
Broward Heat, Fort Lauderdale, Women’s 50+, Fifth Place
Broward Heat, Fort Lauderdale, Women’s 60%2B, Bronze Medal
The Villages Seabreeze, Women’s 65+, Gold Medal
Golden Seabreeze, The Villages, Women’s 75+, Bronze Medal
The 2025 National Senior Games were in competition daily from July 24 through August 4 in Des Moines. A total of 713 athletes from Florida, the most of any state in the U.S. were in action. Florida currently lead all states with nearly 500 medals earned.
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.