Outlook: Fully recovered from a shoulder injury suffered last year, senior Jason Hardabura is working himself into shape and could once again be among the nation's elite. Hardabura won the floor exercise and all-around titles at the 1999 NCAA Championships and should be back to full strength in early February. Although he has been out of competition for a nearly a year, Hardabura will be strong on all six events and could contend for the NCAA all-around title this season. Coach Francis Allen believes Hardabura has the best competitive head on the team, which should help him return to top form.
2000: Hardabura underwent season-ending shoulder surgery March 6 to repair a torn labrum after shoulder soreness had hampered him all season. The surgery fixed the tendon that connected Hardabura’s right shoulder to its socket. He competed in two events in NU’s season opener on Jan. 21 at the Rocky Mountain Open, scoring a 9.80 on still rings and advancing to the meet’s event final. He also competed on pommel horse, vault and high bar Feb. 19 at UC-Santa Barbara before deciding to undergo surgery.
1999: Hardabura capped one of the finest seasons ever by a Nebraska gymnast by winning a pair of titles at the 1999 NCAA Championships in Lincoln. He captured national titles in the all-around (58.05) and floor exercise, while also finishing fourth on high bar (9.6875) and eighth on still rings (9.575) after helping to lead the Huskers to a third-place finish in the team competition, their best showing since 1995. Hardabura won both the MPSF (57.875) and the West Regional titles (58.075) en route to being selected as the MPSF Gymnast of the Year. He was the first NU gymnast to score 58 or better in six meets in a season and tied the career record of six scores of 58 or better held by former NCAA all-around champions Jim Hartuug (1979-32) and Chad Grace (1992-95). Hardabura won the all-around title in nine of 11 meets and led the team with 23 even vitcories during the season. He was ranked first in the nation in the all-around (57.517) and was in the top 20 in four individual events (FX, 13th; PH,14th; SR, ninth and HB, fourth). He scored a career-high 58.15 against Minnesota, finishing first or second on all six events, including wins on floor exercise (9.625), pommel horse (9.70), Still rings (9.75) and high bar (9.80) and had season highs of 9.65 or better on all six events.
1998: Hardabura completed a successful freshman campaign by finishing ninth at the NCAA Championships in the all-around with a score of 56.325, the best finish by a freshman all-arounder at the 1998 NCAAs. He was second on the team with an all-around average of 56.80 and ranked ninth nationally in the all-around with a Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) of 57.358. Hardabura scored a 56 or better in his last seven meets and his score of 57.975 against 0U and New Mexico was the second-highest score by a freshman in school history and the best total by any NU gymnast since NCAA champion Richard Grace’s 58.35 at the 1995 NCAA Team Finals. He won the MPSF championship on the floor exercise with a then-career-high score of 9.725. He ranked 15th nationally on horizontal bar (9.717 RQS) with three high bar routines of 9.80 or higher, includin a season-best of 9.825 against Ohio State and at Iowa. He ranked 19th on still rings (9.683 RQS), including a team-best score of 9.85 to place second at the West Regional, one of three scores above 9.70. A consistent performer on pommel horse, he scored 9.55 or better on four of his last five routines, including a season high score of 9.70 set against the Sooners and Lobos. He was fourth on the squad with a 9.44 average on vault and scored a 9.40 or higher on each of his last seven vaults.
Prior: Hardabura has been a member of the Canadian National Team since 1989. From 1989 to 1993, he was a member of the junior national team before joining the senior national team in 1993. Hardabura has extensive national team experience, competing in the 1994 World Championships, the 1995 Pan American Games and the 1995 World Championships. He was the Canadian national champion on the pommel horse in 1995. In 1992, he won the Novice Canadian National all-around championship. Hardabura, who began competing at 9, was coached by former Canadian National Team Coach Dave Arnold of the Burlington Boys Gymnastics Club.
Personal: The son of Larry and Madeline Hardabura, Jason was born Sept. 12, 1975, in Toronto, Ontario. Hardabura has one sister, Natalie. He is an advertising major.