Cadet wins 2026 Star of the West competition

The Star of the West drill competition draws members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets each year to compete for the title of the college’s top military driller.

After a tight competition, Cadet Kyle O’Grady won The Citadel’s annual Star of the West contest on Wednesday, May 6.

The Star of the West competition has been an annual Citadel tradition since 1886, honoring the precision and discipline required in military maneuvers and leadership.

To mark the occasion, O’Grady will receive the Star of the West medal — which contains wood from the historic ship — at the South Carolina Corps of Cadets award convocation in May. His name will also be engraved on the Star of the West monument on Summerall Field, joining a roster of past winners dating back decades. The monument itself was erected in 1961, a century after Citadel cadets fired upon the Star of the West during the Civil War.