Blue Valley West grad wins gold medal

Allison Schmitt pushed the United States in front in the anchor leg to win the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the London Olympics on Wednesday.  The Americans, whose team included Shannon Vreeland, a 2010 Blue Valley West grad and university of Georgia swimmer, Missy Franklin and Dana Vollmer, clocked an Olympic-record 7 minutes, 42.92 seconds. It’s the first Olympic gold medal for Vreeland, while Schmitt, Franklin and Vollmer have all won individual gold in London.   Australia led by a half-second entering the anchor leg but had to settle for silver.  France touched third for the bronze.