Jordan Bauth proved she was the best figure skater in Western New York when she won the Junior Ladies Championship at the North Atlantic Championships at the Northtown Center in October.

Officials at United States Figure Skating determined the Lancaster High School freshman was the best choice to represent the United States at the inaugural Youth Winter Olympic Games, which will run Friday through Jan. 23 in Innsbruck, Austria. Bauth and one of her Amherst Skating Club coaches, Lenel van den Berg, left Tuesday for Austria accompanied by her parents.

The United States is sending 57 athletes and five skaters to the Youth Winter Olympics, which is for ages 14-19. In addition to Bauth, there are a pairs and a dance team competing in skating for the U.S.

According to the Amherst club's Art Dube, Bauth qualified as an alternate -- she finished fifth at the Eastern Sectionals -- for the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships, which will begin Jan. 22 in San Jose, Calif. Because the nationals and the Youth Games overlap, U.S. Figure Skating had to find the best eligible skater not among the 12 -- the top four from each of three sections -- competing at San Jose to send to Austria, and Bauth was selected.

Bauth, a 14-year-old who is also coached by Kirk Wyse, will perform in the Short Program on Sunday and in the Freeskate on Tuesday.

The Youth Winter Olympic Games are made up of 15 disciplines across seven sports. In 2016, the event will be held in Lillehammer, Norway.

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