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By MIKE MARSEE

Contributing Writer

LEXINGTON — It was a long road to a repeat for Germani Crosby, but she stayed the course.

Much has happened in Crosby’s life in the year since she won her first shot put state championship for Lincoln County, from starting high school to dealing with injuries.

Yet she stood in the same place Friday where she was a year ago: on the awards stand in front of the number “1” at the KHSAA State Track and Field Championships.

A season of distractions didn’t seem to faze the Lincoln freshman, who won the Class 2A girls shot put title for the second consecutive year.

“It has been mentally harder this year, but that’s been an even bigger push for me to push myself even harder and to focus on myself even more when I’m throwing,” Crosby said.

She said this season was more difficult than the previous one, and for more than one reason.

First, there was the matter of starting high school, which can be a time of significant change in any teenager’s life. Then she had to come back from an accident last fall that injured her back, and she had to overcome an aching ankle this spring.

None of that mattered Friday at the University of Kentucky, where Crosby capped another stellar season with a personal-best throw of 38 feet, 11 inches that allowed her to win the shot put by almost three feet.

“I was really going for a 39 or 40 this year, but I’m just proud of myself for making it back to state again and having the confidence to push myself further,” she said.

Crosby’s best throw, which came on her first attempt in the finals, went 9½ inches farther than her top throw in the regional meet and 3¼ inches farther than her top throw at last year’s state meet.

“I didn’t let my new experience in high school keep me down from performing my best,” she said.

Crosby said she has taken regular-season meets more seriously this year after transitioning from middle school to high school, but not too seriously.

“Whenever I’m relaxed it’s always a good day to throw,” she said. “You get those PRs (personal records) on those good days.”

She said Friday was one of those good days, despite the warm weather.

“I think it was a really good day to throw,” Crosby said.

Crosby, who made her third appearance at the state meet, was joined this year by younger sister Zyanya, an eighth-grader who finished 14th in the girls discus in her first appearance.

“I would say we push each other mentally and physically,” Germani Crosby said. “It’s all tough love. We get on each other, but it’s all out of love and that we want to help each other get better.”