Siblings find solace on golf course

Siblings find solace on golf course

By Tyler Dixon

 

While one Cusumano is wrapping up their college career, the other is just getting started.

Alex Cusumano, a senior at Loyola University, and Brooke Cusumano, a freshman at SIU, each play Division I golf. Both have had plenty of accolades, but while Alex Cusumano’s success has come more during college, Brooke Cusumano has the edge in high school hardware.

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The Cusumano’s went to high school at Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis where they both played golf and basketball.

“I was actually a lot better at basketball my freshman and sophomore year,” Brooke Cusumano said. “I started varsity.”

Her brother realized as he got older that he was pretty good at golf and decided there was more of a future in golf than basketball.

“It’s one of the more relaxing college sports,” Alex Cusumano said. “I could play it after college.”

Winning a state championship in high school is impressive, but Brooke Cusumano finished her career with four. She won the team and individual state championship her junior and senior seasons. Alex Cusumano won the team championship his senior season and finished seventh as an individual his junior year.

After graduating from Westminster, Brooke Cusumano narrowed her college choices to Austin Peay and Loyola. SIU women’s coach Alexis Mihelich said she was able to get her to change her mind and become a Saluki.

“She really didn’t want to go to the same school her brother went to,” Mihelich said. “She was really happy when I called.”

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Brooke Cusumano said Carbondale was the best place to continue her golf career.

“SIU just seemed like the right fit for me,” she said. “I really liked the team and the coach.”

She said she does not have one complaint about Carbondale or SIU.

“My parents ask me if you could rate Carbondale one to 10, I’d say 10 easy, love it,” Brooke Cusumano said.

Alex Cusumano said his sister made the best decision to further her career.

“I know the women’s program’s very good at SIU,” Alex Cusumano said. “I was pretty proud when she committed to SIU and was able to play there.”

Despite both of them playing an individual sport, Brooke Cusumano said the rivalry with her brother is not cut-throat, but they do compete with each other.

Brooke Cusumano said if her brother is playing badly, she can beat him, but he disagrees.

“I don’t think there’s any way, if I had the worst day and she had the best day, she’s playing the red tees and I’m playing the tips maybe,” he said. “It’s a big maybe, we’ll see.”

Alex Cusumano said he does not necessarily have goals for his final season, but he does want to finish his college career on a high note. He has already had success this season being named a Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week twice.

“I just want to be able to look back and say I didn’t regret anything,” he said. “I want to make sure I’m succeeding.”

In the years leading up to her senior season, Brooke Cusumano said she wants to be able to contend for first place in a tournament. She said she could do it if she continues to work hard.

“You have to have a goal,” she said. “You have to have something to shoot for.”

Sports are a common theme in the Cusumano household. Their father, Frank Cusumano, is a sportscaster at an NBC affiliate in St. Louis, and is a sports radio host on KFNS.

“Sports in our family are second nature, we’re always watching them, we’re always playing them,” Alex Cusumano said. “I wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t have sports in my life.”

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