Dain Burkhart’s final wrestling match as a Fairfield Trojan ended the only way it could: with everything on the line, his hand raised in victory, and an emotional embrace with the coach who had been there since the beginning.
The Fairfield senior captured third place at 175 pounds in Class 2A at the Iowa High School Athletic Association state wrestling championships on Saturday, February 21st, defeating Mount Vernon’s Caysen Curran 9-8 in a triple-overtime thriller at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines.
Moments after the referee lifted his arm, Burkhart shared a bear hug with Fairfield head coach Steve Miller in the Trojans’ corner—a moment years in the making and heavy with meaning that extended far beyond the mat.
Burkhart entered the tournament as the sixth seed with a 37-6 record and represented Fairfield as the sole Trojan wrestler after senior state qualifier Cael McCabe was unable to compete at 113 pounds.
Day One: Navigating Early Rounds
Burkhart received a first-round bye on Thursday, February 19th, before squaring off against 11th-seeded Easton Beyer of Clarion-Goldfield-Dows in the second round.
Despite the difference in seeding, the match was closely contested throughout. Burkhart struck first with a takedown in the opening period and carried a 3-1 lead after Beyer recorded an escape. In the second period, Burkhart was issued a stalling warning, and Beyer added another escape to narrow the margin to 3-2.
The third period featured several momentum swings. Burkhart extended his advantage with an escape and another takedown, but Beyer responded with a late reversal to keep the pressure on. Burkhart quickly escaped to regain control, and although he was assessed a stalling penalty in the closing seconds, he maintained the lead as time expired.
Burkhart secured the 8-5 decision, advancing in the championship bracket with a hard-fought victory.
Day Two: Advancing to Semifinals
Friday brought two crucial matches for Burkhart.
In the quarterfinals, he faced third seed Ayden Antonelli of Anamosa. Burkhart built a 4-0 lead through the first two periods with a takedown and escape, putting him in position to control the match.
Antonelli stormed back in the third period, quickly tying the score at 4-4, but Burkhart responded with clutch scoring—five points from a reversal and nearfall with 43 and 22 seconds remaining. Antonelli managed an escape with three seconds left, but time ran out. Burkhart advanced with a 9-5 decision.
The semifinal against second seed Kyler Crow of Mediapolis didn’t go Burkhart’s way. Crow jumped out to a 3-1 lead after the first period, then extended it to 7-1 with an escape and takedown in the second.
Burkhart battled back with four points—a reversal and nearfall—to make it 7-5. Crow got another reversal with 11 seconds left to go up 9-5, but Burkhart escaped right as the period ended to make it 9-6.
In the third period, neither wrestler scored until Crow notched a two-point nearfall with one second remaining to lead 11-6. Burkhart got a reversal as time expired to make the final 11-8, but his comeback bid fell short.
Day Three: Fighting Back to the Podium
Saturday morning brought the consolation semifinal against fifth seed Kasen Tyler of Decorah.
Tyler controlled the first two periods, holding a 1-0 lead. But Burkhart found his rhythm in the third period, exploding for six points—a reversal and nearfall with 42 and 16 seconds remaining—to take a 6-1 lead. Tyler got a reversal with 15 seconds left, but Burkhart held on for a 6-3 decision.
The Third-Place Battle
The third-place match against Mount Vernon’s Caysen Curran turned into a marathon that tested Burkhart’s endurance and mental toughness.
Burkhart scored first with a takedown in the opening period. Then Curran seized momentum with a devastating six-point swing—an escape with 1:20 remaining, followed by a five-point sequence (takedown and two-point nearfall) with 10 seconds left. Burkhart escaped as time expired but trailed 6-4.
The third period became a scramble of reversals. Burkhart got one with 1:18 left to tie the score at 6-6. Curran answered with a reversal at 57 seconds to lead 8-6. Burkhart responded with his own reversal at 44 seconds to tie it 8-8. Curran was hit with a stall warning with 29 seconds remaining, but regulation ended tied.
The first overtime period saw Curran receive a caution. The second overtime produced no scoring.
In the third overtime, Curran made a critical decision: rather than continue wrestling from the top position, he chose to release Burkhart, giving him an escape point with 30 seconds remaining.
Burkhart made him pay for it.
He got the escape and wrestled a perfect defensive 30 seconds to win 9-8 and claim third place, beating expectations as the sixth seed of the weight bracket.
Reflections on a Career
In a post-match interview with Thunder Country KIIC, Burkhart explained the decisive moment.
“After he got that stalling [call] in the third period, I knew that this was my match. He wasn’t doing anything on bottom. I just had to put a leg in and pray for the next 20 seconds. So when I did, I held on with everything I had. That match means everything to me. Last match of my career, but I finished on top.”
The tournament held special meaning beyond personal achievement.
“I’ll never forget this tournament,” Burkhart said emotionally. “I think this means a lot to all my teammates back in the room. I was the only one fortunate enough to be able to come here, but next year, I hope to be able to go into the room and help a bunch of other kids accomplish what they know they can accomplish and I know they can accomplish.”
Burkhart indicated he might pursue officiating starting next year, staying involved in the sport that has shaped much of his life.
Despite being Fairfield’s only representative at the state tournament, Burkhart didn’t feel alone. Speaking with media members after his performance, he credited his teammates for techniques that helped him throughout the weekend.
“It wasn’t just my style I put out there,” Burkhart said. “I made sure to put in a bit of everything, and it paid off big.”
He specifically mentioned senior Calvin McClain for showing him a neck wrench technique and sophomore Dusty Haynes for arm drags Burkhart utilized during matches.
Burkhart also pointed to Cason Miller—Coach Steve Miller’s son and a 2025 Fairfield graduate—for helping him improve during trips back to Fairfield this season.
The victory also carried profound personal significance. Coach Steve Miller has been with Burkhart since second grade—not just in wrestling, but also coaching him in other sports and being a constant presence in his life.
“Ever since second grade when I started wrestling, he was one of the coaches,” Burkhart told media members. “I played baseball, it was him as a coach. I’ve been with his son for 12 years. That whole family’s just meant so much, both for my athletics and personal life.”
This season brought unimaginable challenges. Miller continued coaching after the January 24th death of his daughter Emmelia, Burkhart’s senior classmate, in a car accident.
“He was there for us every day,” Burkhart said. “Every day after, he’s been there for us, and that’s the strongest thing I’ve seen anyone do, and I knew that this was just the bare minimum I could do for it.”
For Burkhart, the third-place medal represented more than personal achievement—it was a tribute to a coach who never left his corner, even in the darkest of times.
Photography courtesy of Ali Gerbracht and the IWCOA.
