Chrissy Rasile Already Among Branford Hornets' Girls' Swimming Team's All-Time Greats

Swimming has been an integral part of Chrissy Rasile's life since childhood as she grew up idolizing the athletes who established a tradition of excellence for the Hornets. Since starting with the Branford Stingrays at age eight, Chrissy was a fixture at Walsh Intermediate Pool, whether developing her own skills, or cheering on the Hornets' athletes, one of which was her sister Allison.

"As soon as I started swimming, I fell in love with it," says Chrissy. "You just couldn't keep me away."

One thing Chrissy couldn't wait to do was compete in high school as she was eager to make her own splash while carrying on the Hornets' tradition. To say she's done so is an understatement as the junior has already achieved a level of success that puts her among Branford's all-time greats, boasting a résumé that includes three victories at the SCC Championship, plus two triumphs in the 50 freestyle at states, one of which smashed a 32-year-old Class M record.

"I have a lot of special memories that will be with me for the rest of my life," Chrissy says. "And it means so much that they've happened at Branford because when people think about Branford swimming, they think about a team that's won a lot."

Chrissy achieved a lot even as a freshman with the Hornets, making All-State by taking fourth in the 100 freestyle at the Class M meet and earning Branford's Rookie of the Year Award. She then took it one step further her sophomore year for Chrissy again gained All-State distinction in the 100 free to go with her initial postseason victory as she prevailed in the 50 freestyle.

Chrissy has always enjoyed doing sprint freestyle events, saying "all I want to do is get out and go fast right from the start." Yet as speedy as she is, Chrissy displayed great versatility as a junior this past fall by taking first at the SCC meet in the 100 breaststroke, along with winning the 200 freestyle and swimming on the victorious 200 freestyle relay.

Surely, these are all colossal achievements, although they ultimately proved a setup for the definitive showing of Chrissy's career thus far at the 2011 Class M Championship. Chrissy etched her name into the history books that night by swimming a 23.88 in the 50 free, which didn't just top her competitors, but also broke the school record and Class M mark of 23.90 set long before Chrissy was even born. On top of that, Chrissy took second in the 100 free and swam on Branford's 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays, both which placed second and set school records.

"I always had dreams of breaking the record in the 50 freestyle, but never thought I would do it as a junior," Chrissy says. "I'd recently suffered a tongue laceration and hadn't eaten any solid food for a week so I really surprised myself with how fast I went. And when I got out of the water and coach [Scott Butler] told me I had broken the record, I couldn't even believe it; it must have been adrenaline."

Yet as pleased as Chrissy was to break a longstanding individual record, she was even happier about helping her relays set school records, saying, "I like relays even more because you get to share your success with your teammates."

That statement may surprise some, but not Coach Butler, who isn't just impressed with Chrissy's prowess in the pool, but also with her positive personality, a trait which earned her captaincy for her senior season.

"Chrissy never puts herself above anyone; she's the ideal teammate, someone who trains hard and gives her team all she can everyday," Butler says. "Another asset that makes Chrissy a likeable person is her sense of humor as she knows how to compete at a high level and have fun doing it. I've rarely seen one subpar swim get to her; she shrugs it off and rebounds well."

But of course, Chrissy Rasile hasn't had many subpar efforts as she's already established a legacy at Branford and still has one year left to go, after which she plans to swim in college at the Division I level just like her sister, who competes for Central Connecticut.

Chrissy will surely make new friends and carve quite a niche at whichever college she attends, yet regardless of what transpires at the next stop along Chrissy's path, the friendships she's formed in Branford will forever reside in the forefront of her heart.

"I couldn't ask for anything more than all the teammates and coaches I've met through my career at Branford," she says. "They will always live in me and I will always love them, no matter what."