Delaney Schnell, left, and Jessica Parratto pose for a photo after winning silver medals in the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform diving final at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre during the Summer Olympics. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

A U.S. Olympian born in Iron Mountain earned a silver medal in women’s 10-meter synchronized platform diving at the Tokyo Games.

Delaney Schnell, 22, of Tucson, Ariz., was the bronze medalist in individual platform at the world championships in 2019. At the Olympics on Tuesday, she teamed in the 10-meter synchronized event with Jessica Parratto, 27, who had helped end Schnell’s Olympic hopes in 2016.

Their second-place finish marked the best U.S. performance in the event’s Olympic history,

“Jess and I just ended up making it work,” Schnell said. “Took a lot of faith in each other, a lot of trust in each other that paid off.”

Born in Iron Mountain in December 1998 to Robert and Cynthia Schnell, the future Olympian soon moved with her family to the Menominee area where she would spend the first three years of her life.

Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell of the United States' compete during the women's synchronized 10m platform diving final at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Although Schnell’s school years were spent in Arizona, she told WJMN-TV earlier this year that she is “still a Yooper at heart.”

“Every time I go back I just feel so at peace,” she said. “That’s my happy place. I love going back up there and visiting family there.”

Parratto and Schnell were competing for just the third time together, having teamed suddenly at the U.S. trials after Schnell’s partner got hurt.

They each had past success on their own. Schnell, a first-time Olympian, was the first U.S. female individual medalist in the 10-meter platform at a World Championships since Olympic gold medalist Laura Wilkinson in 2005.

Parratto was seventh in individual platform at the Rio Games in 2016. She earned a berth in the synchronized event at Rio by beating Schnell and her partner at trials.

Parratto and Schnell were next to last after their first dive Tuesday, but worked their way higher over the next two rounds to earn the first U.S. medal in the event with 310.80 points.

“Not a scoreboard watcher, but honestly I knew we were kind of behind,” Parratto said. “That lit my fire. I knew we could hit the dives.”

China couldn’t be caught for the gold, with Chen Yuxi and Zhang Jiaqi leading all the way.

Chen and Zhang totaled 363.78 over five rounds. They received two perfect 10s for execution on their second dive in the mostly empty 15,000-seat Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Gabriela Agundez Garcia and Alejandra Orozco Loza of Mexico earned bronze at 299.70.

Schnell, a University of Arizona student, was the 2021 Pac-12 Diver of the Year. Her planned major is psychology with a career ambition in occupational therapy.

As the top U.S. qualifier, she is slated to compete in the individual 10-meter platform dive beginning Wednesday in Tokyo.

Winning the bronze medal in individual 10-meter platform at the 2019 World Championships was the “turning point,” Schnell said, in boosting her confidence.