Baker, Taylor

1998 Rapid City Stevens/2004 Kansas State graduate. Taylor Baker was perhaps South Dakota’s greatest high school gymnast with 13 state titles and leading Stevens to four team state championships. She captured a state record 13 individual titles in the balance beam (1994, 1996, 1997), floor exercise (1994 1995, 1998), uneven bars (1995), vault (1995, 1998), and all-around (1994, 1995, 1996 1998). An ankle injury in 1997 prevented her from any competition, except in the balance beam, at the State Meet. She rose to Stevens’ varsity teams as an eighth grader and competed in gymnastics as well as track at state meets for five straight years. Baker won three track and field state titles (two in triple jump and one in long jump), placed numerous times (several state runner-up finishes) and helped the RCS girls win three state team track titles in a row. She was a top 25 finisher in the national gymnastics meet twice. She was team MVP four times and the South Dakota and Rapid City female high school athlete of the year in 1998. Taylor was also inducted into the Stevens High School Hall of Fame.