STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford seniors Taylor Burkhart and Khoi Young have been named finalists for the 2025 Nissen-Emery Award, as announced by the College Gymnastics Association on Tuesday morning.
Stanford was the only program with multiple finalists for the award, as Burkhart and Young join Taylor Christopulos (Nebraska), Emre Dodanli (Oklahoma), Patrick Hoopes (Air Force), Josh Karnes (Penn State), and Kameron Nelson (Ohio State).
The Nissen-Emery award is given annually to the top senior gymnast in the nation and is widely recognized as the highest honor in the sport. The Cardinal boasts seven previous Nissen-Emery winners, including Colt Walker (2024), Brody Malone (2022), Akash Modi (2017), Eddie Penev (2013), Dan Gill (2004), Josh Stein (1995), and Steve Hug (1974).
Burkhart and Young are looking to become the sixth honoree under head coach Thom Glielmi, joining Walker, Malone, Modi, Penev, and Gill.
Burkhart is a three-time NCAA All-American, most notably finishing as the national runner-up on vault in 2023 while also earning podium finishes on high bar and pommel horse in his career. The Arvada, Colo., native also earned all-MPSF honors on vault in 2023, and his efforts have helped lead Stanford to three NCAA championships and MPSF conference titles (2022-24) in his career.
The senior has enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2025, twice being named the CGA National Gymnast of the Week. along with three Gymnast of the Week honors at the conference level this season. Burkhart is currently the top-ranked all-around gymnast in the NCAA this season, holding a 4score average of 79.483.
On the international level, Burkhart has spent several years on the U.S. National Team, earning four career individual medals for Team USA on floor exercise and vault. Burkhart was also a member of the 2022 Pan American Games gold medal team.
A Science, Technology, and Society major with a 3.211 GPA, Burkhart was named to the MSPF All-Academic team in 2024.
Young is the reigning NCAA All-Around champion and is a seven-time NCAA All-American, garnering honors on vault, pommel horse, parallel bars, and the all-around. Young is also a four-time MPSF individual champion on four different events, and a six-time all-conference selection.
Young is also highly decorated on the international level, serving as an alternate for Team USA's first Olympic medal-winning team since 2008 when they took bronze in Paris last summer. The Bowie, Md., native won a pair of World silver medals on pommel horse and vault, and a team bronze in 2023. Young also won team and pommel horse Pan American gold medals that same season.
A 2023 U.S. Championships all-around runner-up, Young is a two-time CGA National Gymnast of the Week winner and a four-time MPSF Gymnast of the Week honoree and has won three NCAA and MPSF team titles in his career (2022-24).
Young, pursuing degrees in Engineering and Design, boasts a 3.024 GPA and was named an MPSF All-Academic Scholar-Athlete in 2023.
The original Nissen Award was named in honor of George Nissen, a former NCAA champion, for his contributions to men's gymnastics. The award was re-named the Nissen-Emery Award in 1998 to honor Dr. Robert Emery, a Penn State graduate, who won the Nissen Award in 1969.
The Nissen-Emery Award is inscribed with the following motto: "The true champion seeks excellence physically, mentally, socially, and morally."