Bishop Chatard's girls, who drink the milk after races, ended Cathedral's eight-year run as team champion in the City meet at Fall Creek and 16th Park.

Chatard girls claimed five of the top seven places -- all finishing within 15 seconds of each other -- to edge Cathedral 25-31.

"My whole top five really stepped up big," Chatard coach Glenn Arndt said. "They ran together in a pack like we've been talking about all year."

Amy Davis led the Trojans in second place. Christine Kirby was fourth, followed by teammates Carly Sobolewski, Catie Salyer and Lindsey Laconi.

"We didn't really have to say anything," Davis said of their pack. "We knew we were pushing each other."

They knew what they were doing afterward, too. A recent study published in a nutrition journal showed chocolate milk may be as good as sports drinks in helping athletes recover.

Sophomore Katy Achtien and freshman Paige Mason, both of Cathedral, finished first and third. Achtien, who was sixth in the state as a freshman, repeated as champion with a time of 14 minutes, 26.2 seconds on the 4,000-meter course.

Chatard is ranked No. 7 in the state and Cathedral No. 8, so Cathedral coach Matt Wire expected a close race.

"Chatard had a little much for us today," Wire said. "Chatard and Cathedral see each other all through the tournament. When it comes to the rivalry, you can never allow yourself to get too high or too low with each outcome."

Team scores were reversed in the boys race. Cathedral swept places 3-7 in beating defending champ Chatard 25-35.

Two Chatard seniors, Andrew Poore and Aaron Kremer, duplicated their 1-2 finishes of 2005. Kremer was the City champion in 2004.

Poore ran 5,000 meters in 15:24.3, finishing 35 seconds ahead of his teammate.

"We try to work together," Poore said. "Usually, I pull him out, and he pushes me through the middle."

The Cathedral pack was made up of Josh Smith, Blake Westerman, Hale O'Herren, Sean Kelley and Joe Kluemper.

Coach Jim Nohl of unranked Cathedral was looking ahead to the perennially strong Franklin Central Semistate, where many ranked teams are eliminated before the state meet.

"If we run like we ran today, we have as good a chance as anybody," Nohl said.

The course, site of the 2004 World Championship trials, drew praise from coaches and runners. The meet was organized by Crispus Attucks, which reopened as a high school with freshmen this fall.

Coach Les Martin entered runners in reserve races. But with 46 boys and girls on the middle school team, he said, Crispus Attucks intends to have a varsity at the 2007 City meet.

"Next year, we'll be ready," he said.