After losing to Weston by a mere seven points in last year's league championship, the Bunnell girls have regrouped and rebuilt their team and are ready to take on their newfound rival as both teams will face off against each other in the coming week.

While Weston is undefeated and Bunnell has only one loss, in a non-conference meet, the two teams are set to take on each other Monday where Bunnell coach Ken Poisson hopes last year's demons will be exorcised and there will be only one team left with a perfect league record. With a record of 11-1 and 11-0 in the SWC, Bunnell has put together another strong season and according to Poisson, this year's squad is one of the best he's seen in his 22 years of coaching.

"I don't think I've ever had a team so dedicated and talented," Poisson said. "Every one on this team has an incredible competitive edge and they are always ready to play."

Not only has Bunnell nurtured some young, talented athletes who are starting to show signs of greatness, the Bulldogs have also found strength in numbers.

With 69 athletes, Bunnell has put together one of the deepest teams in its history and their depth is paying off as the Bulldogs have gone about picking up wins with strong showings in a variety of events.

"We've been getting point production from lots of people in lots of different roles." Poisson said. "You can't really quantify which athlete is your strongest because they each provide such a different role. You can't win a track

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meet with one person."

Although he can't pinpoint his best athlete, a strong candidate might just be senior Ashley Matakevich.

Matakevich, who has already accepted a scholarship to run at Sacred Heart, has proven to be one of Bunnell's most reliable and versatile athletes as she has found success competing in a variety of events, including the long jump, triple jump and the 4x100 relay.

Matakevich hasn't been the only one making a favorable impression as a slew of her teammates have been setting school records and lifting the track team to new heights over the past two years.

Last year, the members of both the 4x400 and 4x100 relay teams broke school records and junior Alesha Chu-Foo recently broke Bunnell's high jump record (5-2.25) while senior Hannah Belport set a record for the pole vault (8-6).

Not only have the Bulldogs continued to set new benchmarks, but they have set a goal for improving their performances at every meet.

"The stated goal of this team is to get better every time out," Poisson said. "We've had a lot of improvements from everybody and this team is only getting better as the championships get closer. They've got a great approach to the game and they just hate to lose."