Two of East’s most decorated athletes made their college choices official on Tuesday

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - The T-Birds had a big day on Tuesday; two of their most accomplished athletes put pen to paper for where they will be competing at the collegiate level. Marik Cummings will run track for Colorado Mesa, and wide receiver Garet Schlabs is joining the Chadron State football team.

When talking about his recruitment process, Cummings said the coach at Colorado Mesa made it clear how much he wanted him to be a part of the program.

“He talked to me and he’s like ‘Hey, you’re my guy. I want you to come to Mesa, I want you to take a visit, everything you need. I just want you.’ I was like ‘yeah, for sure’, and so I went on the visit and I basically fell in love with the place. It’s honestly beautiful in Grand Junction,” Cummings said.

The Mavericks are certainly getting a versatile athlete; Cummings has lettered in tennis, cheer, and weights on top of indoor and outdoor.

It’s undeniable though that the track star has left his footprints all over East’s program. Cummings was named East’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2022, he’s gotten two all-conference selections in the outdoor 100 meter and 4x100 meter relay, and that 100 meter time of 10.62 seconds is an East school record.

He also holds the 55 meter record of 6.49 seconds and the sprint medley record for indoor; those times earned him qualification for Nike Nationals and New Balance Nationals.

Speaking of East records, Schlabs holds several of those as well. He is the T-Birds all-time receiving king; the wideout compiled 2591 yards and hauled in 40 touchdowns to become the school’s career leader in both categories. He also holds the single season record for average kick return yards at 28.2 yards per return.

He was a two time first-team all-state member as a receiver, but he excelled on the other side of the ball as well. His other two all-state nods were for his play as a corner; he made second team his junior season and first team his senior year. His play on the football field has also earned him a spot on the Wyoming Super 25 team as one of the 25 best players in the state.

As the son of East’s athletic director, Schlabs has been around this school for a long time. He said being able to represent the T-Birds has meant everything to him.

”It means a lot. You know, I’ve grown up in this building since I was really little... I’ve looked up to a bunch of people that have been here, and really just have a deep bond and love for this school. So it’s really awesome. The goals that I set when I was little I accomplished, and so to leave with all these accomplishments is awesome,” Schlabs said.

Congratulations to both athletes on achieving their goals of competing collegiately.

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