Kathleen R. "Kathy" Boatwright, quite simply, built a girls basketball dynasty at Keystone Heights High School.

Under her 24-year tutelage, the Lady Indians won 14 FHSAA District Championships, made eight appearances in the FHSAA Finals and won three State Championships (1994-95, 97). Her teams also finished as State Runner-up twice.

Boatwright finished with a coaching record of 527 wins and 180 losses, coaching Keystone Heights to 20 or more wins 12 times. At the time of her retirement, only four other active girls basketball coaches in Florida have accumulated more victories than Boatwright.

Born in Jacksonville, Boatwight graduated from Fletcher High school in 1953 and from Brenau University in Gainesville, Ga., in 1957. After graduating from Brenau, Boatwright began her teaching and coaching career at Russell High School before returning to her alma mater, Fletcher, in 1962.

She remained there until "begging for" and getting the job as head girls basketball coach at Keystone Heights in 1976.

"I've always had a love for basketball," Boatwright said. "Being a female has never been a problem. I just had to learn more because men have been playing at this level a lot longer."