Cadet Kyle Hopkins wins 2024 Star of the West competition

The Star of the West drill competition began with 35 members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. By the end, one cadet was recognized as the best at military drills.

This year, Cadet Kyle Hopkins won The Citadel’s annual Star of the West competition. After a tight competition, Hopkins won the title during the competition on Wednesday, May 1.

“The guy who got me to come to The Citadel, Captain Evan Lee, is on the monument for winning in 2016. He was my series commander for boot camp in Parris Island, and now I’m going to be on the same monument as him. It means a lot. Drill means a lot. It’s about discipline and there’s a lot to it, so I’m absolutely honored to win this competition,” said Hopkins.

The Star of the West competition began in 1886 at The Citadel and is now an annual event that recognizes and celebrates the precision required in military maneuvers and leadership positions in general.

To commemorate his achievement, Hopkins will have his name engraved on the Star of the West monument on Summerall Field. The monument was raised in 1961, 100 years after Citadel cadets fired upon the Star of the West ship during the Civil War. Previous year’s winners of the Star of the West competition have their names inscribed on the monument.

Hopkins will also be awarded the Star of the West medal, which contains wood from the old ship, during the South Carolina Corps of Cadets award convocation in May.