Senior named Best Drilled Cadet in the Corps of Cadets

For the third straight year, Michael Czyrnik has been named the Best Drilled Cadet in the South Carolina Corps of Cadets at The Citadel.

Czyrnik competed against more than a dozen fellow cadets to win the annual award, which is given out just before commencement. His name will be engraved on the Star of the West monument near the flagpole on Summerall Field. He also was presented a medal that contains a small piece of wood from the ship, Star of the West, which was fired upon by Citadel cadets in the Civil War.

Czyrnik, 23, is a resident of Smithfield, N.C., who came to The Citadel after having served as an enlisted Marine. During his senior year he was commander of Echo Company.

"I first became interested in Star of the West competition my sophomore year because drill is something that was ingrained in me since my time at Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Training Depot, and I have fallen in love with it," Czynrik said. "Marines stress the importance of drill and attention to detail."

Czyrnik returned to compete in his junior year to see if he could win a second time.

"I hesitated my senior year to compete until a fellow competitor from Echo Company, Nick Ruggiere, convinced me to compete with him to defend the title and be the first to win it three times," he said.

Czyrnik received his degree in criminal justice on May 4. He will return to enlisted service in the Marine Corps but intends to pursue an officer's commission.