28 July 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Blood is thicker than water, but Ian and Miles Cusick might have bad blood between them soon.
Before that, having a brotherly bond on the court helped them make history at Topeka West.
“Playing doubles with your twin, you really get that personal connection that you wouldn’t necessarily have with another person,” Miles said.
“It’s just easy to know that I’m not limited by not knowing the person very well,” Ian said.
The twins won back-to-back doubles state championships and helped the Chargers secure their first team championship.
“It just makes it that much more special,” Miles said. “We, obviously, had an amazing team this last year, and just to be able to be a part of that, along with my brother, my twin, it just made it that much more special.”
Working with siblings can be tough, but Topeka West head coach Kurt Davids embraced it.
“When things got tough, they got tougher,” Davids said. “It was important for me to convince them to play for each other instead of just with each other.”
“There’s plenty of times where we were upset with each other here, maybe more so than you would be if it wasn’t your brother,” Ian said. “Then, maybe you’re not talking too much at dinner.”
After spending 18 years together, and seven as tennis partners, the twins will spend time apart… as rivals. Ian will start classes at KU in the fall. Miles will at K-State.
“There’s already so much trash talk, especially KU/K-State trash talk,” Ian said. “It’s definitely going to be a change. I think I’ve kind of noticed it this summer, now that we’re on our own separate schedules. Just getting used to not being around him is definitely going to be different.”
They wanted each other to choose the school best for themselves.
“It was almost a kind of wake up call because this person I’ve been with my entire life won’t be there anymore,” Miles said. “But, we’re both our own individuals and I think we’re going to be really happy where we’re at.”
Ian and Miles know the holidays and weekends home will be even sweeter.
“I think my brother and I just have a connection that you don’t get unless you have someone you grow up with together and spend a lot of time together,” Ian said.
“He tends to make me happy a lot,” Miles said. “Just that friendship and comradery, that special connection, is probably what’s going to be hardest.”