Mr. Perfect

COEUR d'ALENE - Cal Ripken Jr. played 2,632 consecutive baseball games.

Lou Gehrig's record was 2,130.

Lake City High School senior Garrett Cabeza also knows a thing or two about suiting up and showing up no matter what.

Cabeza, who plays baseball for the Timberwolves, is close to graduating from high school with a record of his own - perfect school attendance since kindergarten.

That's 2,219 days of school never missed by the 17-year-old.

"I remember watching the news one day, and I listened to a kid who never missed a day from kindergarten to 12th grade," Cabeza said.

He made it his own goal at a very early age.

"I guess I've been pretty healthy. I don't get sick too often," he said. "When I do get sick it seems to always be on the weekends."

When he graduated from fifth grade at Winton Elementary School, Cabeza received a plaque recognizing his perfect attendance record.

He moved on to Lakes Middle School, and left eighth grade with a perfect attendance award.

"I knew I wanted to go my whole school career without missing a day," Cabeza said.

He was also motivated to show up because he didn't want to fall behind on his school work.

Throughout his time at Lake City, Cabeza's grades, all As and Bs, regularly earned him a spot on the school's honor roll.

"I know education is important. I didn't think I should skip classes. I knew I was supposed to go to school every day so I just went to school," Cabeza said.

Coeur d'Alene School District officials can't recall another student with a perfect attendance record for all 13 years of school.

"Everyone's just sort of shaking their heads. To have a student this dedicated - it's a pretty amazing feat in this modern day and age," said school district spokeswoman Laura Rumpler.

Anthony Hayenga, a Class of 2009 graduate from Coeur d'Alene High School, attended every day of school for all four years of high school.

Cabeza plans to attend the University of Idaho in the fall where he hopes to study journalism or history.

His goal is to become a sports writer.

Cabeza's advice to students: "Go to school as much as you can, to learn. It's a good habit for the rest of your life. You can't skip work."