Honors & Awards
- WCGA Region 4 Gymnast of the Year (2020)
- WCGA First-Team All-America (2020:V)
- WCGA Academic All-American (2020)
- NACGC/W Regular Season Second Team All-American (2019: UB)
- First-Team All-American (2018: V)
- Second-Team All-American (2018: UB)
- Regional Bars Champion (Raleigh Regional, 2018)
- Regional Vault Co-Champion (Raleigh Regional, 2018)
- Big Ten Vault Co-Champion (2018)
- First-Team All-Big Ten (2017, 2019, 2020)
- Second-Team All-Big Ten (2018)
- Big Ten All-Championships Team (2017, 2018, 2019)
- Two-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Week
- Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week (3/6/18)
- Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2017)
- Three-Time Big Ten Freshman of the Week
- Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2019, 2020)
- Academic All-Big Ten (2018, 2019, 2020)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- Nebraska Gold Academic Medallion (2020)
- Eight-Time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll
- J.O. National Championships Qualifier (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
- J.O. National Champion (2016: AA)
- Region 4 Champion (2015: UB; 2013: AA)
- Region 6 Champion (2014: AA, BB)
- Missouri State Champion (2016: AA, V, UB, BB, FX; 2015: AA, V, UB; 2011: UB)
- New York State Champion (2014: AA, V, BB)
2020 (Senior)
The Huskers relied on Taylor Houchin’s performances on vault during the 2020 season. She recorded 13 scores of 9.90 or higher on vault, and was one of the nation’s best gymnasts on the apparatus. Houchin tied her career-high of 9.975 in the event on Jan. 9 at Southern Utah. She recorded a National Qualifying Score (NQS) of 9.95. Her NQS on vault was the third-highest in the nation and the highest in the Big Ten Conference. She also amassed 15 event titles during the 2020 season.
Houchin was named the WCGA Region 4 Gymnast of the Year and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection for the third time. She was honored as a WCGA First-Team All-America selection on vault at the conclusion of the 2020 season. Houchin was also a finalist for the AAI Award, the collegiate women’s gymnastics equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.
Houchin shined in the classroom once again in 2020. She was honored as a WCGA Academic All-American selection for the second time and was named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall and spring semesters.
2019 (Junior)
Houchin became one of the most dominant and consistent competitors in the Huskers' lineup for the 2019 season. She competed in the all-around for almost every meet but stood out primarily on vault and uneven bars. She tied two and set one career high this season. She tied her vault career high at the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional with a 9.975 on April 5, on balance beam she set her career high of 9.95 at the Masters Classic on March 16 and tied her career high on floor exercise for the third time in her career, the latest coming against Illinois on Jan. 26. She was named First Team All-Big Ten for the second time in her career, as well as being named a NACGC/W Regular Season Second Team All-American.
Houchin was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week the week of Jan. 22 after her performance against Rutgers. She won 11 event titles this season including four meets where she won multiple event titles. Houchin competed in the NCAA Championships this season as well as an individual competitor on vault. Houchin, along with teammate Sienna Crouse, were two of five gymnasts this season to has season highs of 9.95 or higher on all four events.
Outside the gym, had another phenomenal year. She was named Academic All-Big Ten for the second time in her career, was honored as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and made the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both her fall and spring semesters. Houchin also was named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
2018 (Sophomore)
After being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season, Taylor Houchin (pronounced HOW-chin) continued her strong efforts into the 2018 campaign providing a steady consistency on bars for the Huskers. She earned first-team All-America status on vault, as well as sharing the Big Ten vault title with a score of 9.90. She was also named second-team All-American on balance beam.
Houchin was one of Nebraska's conference-leading four gymnasts on the Big Ten All-Championships team, joining teammates Grace Williams, Sienna Crouse and Megan Scweihofer. She was also named Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week on March 6 after stellar performances at Elevate the Stage in Augusta, Ga. and the Masters Classic, where she scored a career-high 9.975 to win the vault title. She earned a total of six individual event titles in 2018, including the Big Ten vault title, and two titles at the Raleigh Regional.
At the Raleigh Regional, Houchin helped the Huskers to a second-place finish, qualifying the team for the NCAA Semifinals when she earned co-champion on vault with a score of 9.950, and champion on bars with a career-high 9.975. Also on the day, she posted a 9.875 on beam becoming the first Husker since 2014 to win two event titles. Houchin ended her sophomore season with career-highs of 9.90 or better in every event.
Houchin had another great year in the classroom, being named Academic All-Big Ten and earning spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both the fall and spring semesters of 2017-18. She was also a member of the 2018 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
2017 (Freshman)
Houchin made her mark on Nebraska's record books in 2017, putting together one of the best freshman seasons in school history. Houchin was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and she set a program freshman record in the all-around and tied another freshman record on floor exercise.
A first-team All-Big Ten selection, Houchin competed in the all-around in nine of Nebraska's 12 meets, hitting a 9.70 or above in 46 of her 51 routines. She set a program freshman record when she scored a 39.650 in the all-around at the Masters Classic, topping the previous record which had stood since the 2001 season.
Houchin's top mark on floor exercise was 9.95, which she hit twice to tie another NU freshman record on the event. She first posted the score at the GymQuarters Invitational, and matched it the next week at the Masters Classic.
Houchin was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times, as well as the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 27 following her performance at the Masters Classic. She was also named to the Big Ten All-Championships team after she tied for third on vault with a score of 9.875 at the conference meet.
She won eight total event titles as a freshman, including a pair of all-around titles. She posted a season high on beam of 9.925 at the Masters Classic, and hit her personal best of 9.90 on vault four times throughout the season. She hit her career high of 9.875 on bars twice in 2017, a mark she hit at the NCAA Championships to help the Huskers finish seventh nationally.
Houchin was strong outside the gym as well, as she got off to a strong start in the classroom and earned spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall and spring semesters of 2016-17. She was also a member of the 2017 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
Before Nebraska
Houchin trained under coach Cash McGowan at Gold Medal Gyms in Republic, Mo. Taylor won the all-around title at the 2016 J.O. Nationals, while finishing second on vault and third on beam. She is a two-time regional all-around champion and a five-time J.O. National Championships qualifier. In 2016, Taylor won each event and the all-around at the Level 10 Missouri State Championships. She was the 2015 Missouri state all-around, vault and bars champion, while winning the regional bars championship and finishing sixth on bars at the J.O. National meet. Houchin was a 2014 Level 10 Regional champion in the all-around and on beam, while winning the New York state all-around, vault and beam championships. She also won the 2013 Level 10 Regional all-around title and the 2011 Missouri state bars title.
Personal
The daughter of Jenny and David Doke and Marty and Tracey Houchin, Taylor was born on Feb. 13, 1998. She has one brother, Zachary. Taylor graduated from Republic High School in 2016. Houchin is majoring in child, youth and family studies and claimed Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2018 and 2019. She is an eight-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selection. She was also a member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Houchin's Career High's at Nebraska
- Vault: 9.975 (3 times, last at Southern Utah, 1/9/20)
- Bars: 9.975 (Raleigh Regional, 4/7/18)
- Beam: 9.95 (at Masters Classic, 3/16/19)
- Floor: 9.95 (3 times, last vs. Illinois, 1/26/19)
- All-Around: 39.650 (at Masters Classic, 2/25/17)
2020 Season Highs
- Vault: 9.975 (at Southern Utah, 1/9/20)
- Bars: 9.90 (vs. Missouri, 3/7/20)
- Beam: 9.875 (Big Five Meet,, 2/21/20)
- Floor: 9.925 (vs. Missouri, 3/7/20)
- All-Around: 39.525 (vs. Missouri, 3/7/20)
2019 Season Highs
- Vault: 9.975 (at NCAA Ann Arbor Regional, 4/5/19)
- Bars: 9.95 (2 times, last at Big Ten Championships, 3/22/19)
- Beam: 9.95 (at Masters Classic 3/16/19)
- Floor: 9.95 (vs. Illinois 1/26/19)
- All-Around: 39.525 (vs. Illinois 1/26/19)
2018 Season Highs
- Vault: 9.975 (at Masters Classic, 3/4/18)
- Bars: 9.975 (at Raleigh Regional, 4/7/18)
- Beam: 9.8875 (at National Semifinal I, 4/20/18)
2017 Season Highs
- Vault: 9.90 (4 times, last at NCAA Lincoln Regional, 4/1)
- Bars: 9.875 (2 times, last at NCAA Semifinal, 4/14)
- Beam: 9.925 (at Masters Classic, 2/25)
- Floor: 9.95 (2 times, last at Masters Classic, 2/25)
- All-Around: 39.650 (at Masters Classic, 2/25)