VIDEO Who Is Bradie Tennell? US Figure Skater Could Be On Her Way To 2018 Winter Olympics

While many eyes were on 26-year-old Ashley Wagner's pursuit to become the oldest American woman to skate in the Olympics in 90 years, and Mirai Nagasu's attempt to execute a triple axel, a relatively new face emerged Wednesday night from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, California.

Bradie Tennell, of Carpentersville, Illinois, dazzled the SAP Center crowd in the short program, posting a 73.79 — the all-time highest short-program score for the U.S. Championships. Tennell received 40.88 points for her technical element score and 32.91 points for her program component score.

If Tennell comes anywhere near her exquisite performance in the free skate as she did over the 2-minute, 40-second short program, she almost certainly will find herself among the 14 Team USA figure skaters competing in Pyeongchang in February.

The world should probably start taking notice of this rising star. Tennell, who turns 20 on Jan. 31, has battled back problems this year but showed no signs of strain in the final competition before the Winter Olympics. About 20 seconds into her short program, Tennell smoothly completed a triple Lutz and a triple toe loop and near the end of her performance looked at ease with a double axel.

‘‘I’d say the biggest feeling right now is pride,’’ Tennell said of her performance. ‘‘I’m very proud of how far I’ve come this year, overcoming my injuries and just the technical aspect of things.’’

Tennell could possibly end the U.S. ladies medal drought at the Olympics. The last American woman to win a medal was Sasha Cohen's silver in Torino 2006. Though Tennell is ranked 17th by the International Skating Union, there is no doubt that she is a burgeoning talent.

Tara Lipinski, who took gold in Nagano 1998, said before the U.S. Championships that Tennell was the skater to watch for and that she "has the mental strength that maybe seems to be lacking in some of these ladies."

Momentum has been on Tennell's side in recent months, though the success may feel overwhelming for her, especially when there is a microphone in her face. When Tennell finished in third place at the 2017 Skate America in November, she told NBC Sports' Andrea Joyce that she was shaking when she left the ice and was still shaking during the interview.

"I'm just going to go there and do what I know how to do and let the chips fall where they may," said Tennell, when asked about her strong run in 2017 and how it might translate at the U.S. Championships.

Tennell was the 2015 U.S. junior national champion but unlike some past junior champions, her success hasn't stalled at the senior level. She won the Philadelphia Summer International in August and in September finished fourth at the CS Lombardia Trophy in Italy.

Time in the ice rink is nothing new for the Tennell family. Tennell learned to skate when she was 2 years old and her two younger brothers, Austin and Shane, both play ice hockey.

Tennell attends a community college but does not know what she will major in, though she says she is drawn to science and medicine. Her mother is a registered nurse.

“I really just want to help people and help improve their quality of life,” Tennell told International Figure Skating magazine.

The Ladies' Free Skate begins at 8 p.m. ET on Friday night with NBC providing television and live stream coverage.