Daniel Esteban, the 2018 runner-up, recognized as this year’s best-drilled cadet

Esteban with Gen. Walters

Photo: Gen. Walters, president of The Citadel, congratulates Cadet Daniel Esteban

A sophomore comes out on top after finishing in second place during the 2018 Star of the West competition

Daniel Esteban is the South Carolina Corps of Cadets’s best-drilled cadet. Esteban, who is from Greenville, South Carolina, went up against nearly 40 cadets for the title during The Citadel’s Star of the West competition Wed., May 1.

Cadets competing in the Star of the West finals
Cadets competing in the Star of the West finals

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

Final two cadets in the Star of the West competition
Final two cadets in the Star of the West competition

As best-drilled cadet, Esteban 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 in the Civil War. The names of all Star of the West competition winners are inscribed on the monument.

Esteban will also be awarded the Star of the West medal, which contains wood from the old ship, during the South Carolina Corps of Cadets awards convocation on Thursday, May 2.