Hi CB,
You can use the following code snippets to select "UnChecked" by default.
[C#]
//Data validation to list the values in the first cell
IDataValidation validation = sheet.Range["A1"].DataValidation;
sheet.Range["A1"].Text = "UnChecked";
validation.ListOfValues = new string[] { "UnChecked, Checked" };
Here is the sample for your reference:
PickLists.zipKindly take a look at the sample above and let me know if you have any other questions.
Regards,
Melba