Maricopa High School athletics is celebrating another significant milestone this year.

Senior Kiyah Jeske is one of two female students who qualified for the state championships and became the school’s first female wrestler to win a Division I state title in February.

“It’s a massive milestone,” said MHS Athletic Director Matt Smith.

“When you look at it, it’s breaking barriers. And every time you break a barrier, you get future people who say that’s possible,” he told InMaricopa Tuesday. “Someone will say, ‘I saw a female Maricopa wrestler win and that means I could do that too.’ That’s a big thing.”

He said this milestone will not only open doors for Jeske as she narrows her college options, but also for other female athletes at MHS.

“I’ve spent most of my career coaching female athletes, and proving they can do anything is a battle they so often face in both society and athletics,” he said.

Jeske started her wrestling career her freshman year and immediately competed on the girls’ varsity team. Over 141 matches during her four-year career, she won 123.

This season, Jeske’s record was 46-2.

“Being a senior, this was kind of all or nothing. It’s been fun to watch because at the beginning of the season, she’s had state championships on her mind,” Smith said.

Today, Jeske is still contemplating her college options, according to her coach.

“She’d like to continue wrestling and hopefully this opens up a couple more doors for her,” he said.

In related news, Heritage Academy Maricopa won its fifth straight Canyon Athletic Association state wrestling title in February and is moving to the Arizona Interscholastic Association this fall, where MHS competes.