The King’s Fork High School girls’ swimming team is hoping to finish this year ahead of its 2014-15 counterpart, while the boys’ swimming team has designs on a conference title.

Last regular season, the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs went 4-5 and 2-7, respectively. For the 2015-16 campaign, the Bulldogs are 2-3 and the Lady Bulldogs are 1-4.

The boys’ team lost longtime standout Hugh Long to graduation after last season.

“That was rough, but we’ve rebounded well,” King’s Fork coach Erin Manning said. “The boys are poised to make a run at being conference champs in February, so that’s exciting. It helps not having Nansemond (River High School) in our conference this year.”

Nansemond River, which fielded a juggernaut swimming team in the old Ironclad Conference, recently moved up to the Virginia High School League’s Group 5A classification because its student body had outgrown Group 4A.

Meanwhile, King’s Fork, staying in 4A, moved from the Ironclad Conference to Conference 17, where its conference mates include Churchland High School, Deep Creek High School, Great Bridge High School, Lake Taylor High School and Woodrow Wilson High School.

Manning said she does not mind the conference change.

“It’s nice actually being in a conference where we get to swim (against) other conference members during the season,” she said.

Previously, King’s Fork competed against its usual Southeastern District opponents during the regular season and did not see some of its conference foes until the conference championships. This year, the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs are set to face all but Churchland before the championships.

Great Bridge is a big rival for the Bulldogs in Conference 17, and the Wildcats edged them out in a heart-breaker on Saturday.

Manning said her boys’ team is setting up to be 4-5 again for the regular season, as it continues to face its formidable Southeastern District opponents, but its four-point loss to Great Bridge leaves her hope it can win the conference crown.

Also, “I’m hoping, on the boys’ team, to have two relays go to states again and have one or two individual qualifiers,” Manning said.

The 200-yard medley relay team and 200-yard freestyle relay team made it to states last season for both the King’s Fork boys’ and girls’ squads.

As a squad overall, the Bulldogs are led this season by seniors Alex Kay and Jimmy Smith.

“We’d be lost on the boys’ team without them,” Manning said.

They swim on the 200 medley and 200 free relay teams along with junior Isaac Parsons. A consistent fourth swimmer has yet to be established.

Smith’s primary events are the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, but he has significant versatility.

“(If) I need somebody to swim something, I call Jimmy,” Manning said.

Kay focuses primarily on the 200-meter individual medley and the 100-meter butterfly.

“We’re trying to get him to states in the 100 butterfly,” Manning said. “That is the goal.”

The coach said, “The goal for the girls is to improve on last year’s record,” and to set themselves up for next season.

She said she would like to see the 200 medley and 200 free relay teams return to states, as well as senior Carlee Morse, who made it last season in the 50 and 100 free.

Manning also hopes senior Sonora Curliss and freshman Arabella Short qualify.

The trio of girls swim on the relay teams, and Manning highlighted Short’s strong potential.

“She’s somebody to watch in the next three years,” the coach said. “She’s already broken the school record in the 100 breaststroke, which is awesome.”

King’s Fork’s teams face Deep Creek High School on Thursday at the Great Bridge Swim and Racquet Club in Chesapeake.