Staff Photo by Jake Olson: Fairmont's Logan Junkermeier scans the court as two Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial defenders charge his way during the Monday, Jan 12 matchup inside the Fairmont gymnasium. The Cardinals would come away with a 63-57 victory. Junkermeier finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

FAIRMONT – Numerous thoughts raced through Logan Junkermeier’s mind as he walked off the court following last season’s 66-50 section loss to Jackson County Central.

What went wrong? How could I have been better?

Buried beneath the frustration, even with months separating him from another tipoff, was another thought Junkermeier just couldn’t shake: next season.

“I was a little worried coming into this year with the loss of Oliver [Tordsen] and some other key guards,” Junkermeier said.

The Fairmont boys basketball team was coming off one of its more successful campaigns in the past handful of years. The Cardinals posted a 17-10 record that included powerful regular-season wins over Belle Plaine, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton and the aforementioned Huskies.

Even with a final loss to JCC, which diminished any hopes of making the 2025 MSHSL Class AA Boys Basketball State Tournament, Cardinal head coach Jared Thompson knew this year was a success.

“We had a good year and got better as the year went on,” Thompson said. “I think all of those guys walked away from last year feeling good. …If it’s just about the result at the end of the day, it’s kind of a miserable experience to be a part of team sports when that’s all it’s about.”

But the upcoming 2025-2026 season would be different. Thompson would be working with a team that lost a handful of key seniors. The most notable of these departures was All-Sentinel Co-Player of the Year Oliver Tordsen, a seasoned varsity center for Fairmont who averaged 15 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in his final year.

Junkermeier entered the off-season knowing more eyes would be drawn his way. As one of two returning starters from the previous year, Junkermeier has since elevated his game in multiple phases for the Cardinals. The senior has taken positive steps on and off the hardwood, helping guide Fairmont to its 14-2 start this season.

Sharpening his skills

Junkermeier’s first experience at the varsity level began two years ago during his sophomore year. After spending half the season getting adjusted to the athleticism, Thompson inserted the 6’10 center into his starting lineup, a move that would accelerate Junkermeier’s development.

“My biggest jump from my freshman to sophomore year was the physicality and the speed,” Junkermeier said. “Going into my junior year, I had this thought of ‘I know what’s going on now, I know what I have to do and how physical I have to play.'”

This year set the foundation going forward. Junkermeier ended his junior campaign matching his running mate Tordsen, sharing the All-Sentinel Co-Player of the Year title after finishing the season averaging 16 points and nine rebounds per game.

Junkermeier credited some of this success to having Tordsen by his side. To adjust to the presence of two towering figures, opposing defenses would often double-team either Junkermeier or Tordsen in hopes of creating a difficult matchup. This led to favorable looks for the other player, often times against a smaller opponent.

“I always looked high-low to Oliver first, then I would go do my move,” Junkermeier said. “They [opposing defenses] would usually double Oliver, so I would be one-on-one.”

Tordsen was now gone from Fairmont heading into this season. Attention would quickly shift toward Junkermeier’s presence in the paint, with teams doing everything and anything they could to subdue the center’s abilities with a ball in his hands.

Lifting became Junkermeier’s biggest ally going into his senior summer. In preparation for the increased physicality, Junkermeier trained in the weight room to build out his tall frame and add strength to his game.

Junkermeier paired this with added experience with his Minnesota Rise AAU team. The increased repetition gave him a better understanding of how to handle specific defensive schemes, including double teams.

“He had just such a tremendous summer where he gained so much confidence,” Thompson said. “Logan’s one of those special kids who has this God-given ability, but also has a love for the game and a love to work. As much as he is talented and has so many things in his favor, he’s worked for everything.”

A leader off the court

The departures of seniors Tordsen, Nolan Schultze, Hadan Toomer, Trevor Maakestad and others left a leadership void, one that the previous class had done a great job in filling through the highs and lows of the season, according to Junkermeier.

But now they were gone. Now, the leadership role was given to the handful of players who earned significant varsity minutes the year prior.

Shooting guard Joseph Hackett would join Junkermeier as the other individual in the starting lineup set to return. Backcourt duo Joe Long and Brayden Williamson also accumulated playing time off the bench in their junior seasons.

Junkermeier took this as a personal challenge to step into a bigger role. For him, leadership no longer meant looking at those ahead of him, but rather becoming the example for the rest of the team.

“I knew I had to be more of a leader,” Junkermeier said. “Hayden Toomer was that guy for us last year, leading the team and bringing a lot of energy. I knew that coming into this year, I had to bring everything I had and bring as much energy to be that positive teammate, no matter what happened on the floor.”

It has started in practice. No matter how tired Junkermier feels during these intense workouts, he has made it his mission to set a prime example of how to execute a drill at one’s highest capabilities.

Thompson says that Junkermeier’s poise has also increased as he’s stepped into this new position. The senior always collects his cool during the different adversities faced in a game, never showing a change in attitude regardless of what’s transpiring on the hardwood.

“Nothing fazes him now,” Thompson said. “If he misses a shot, it doesn’t faze him. If he thinks he gets fouled, he doesn’t let everybody in the world know about it. He just plays through it all, and I think that’s helped us more than anything. …His calmness gives our whole team confidence.”