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Williams' Wells, Two Other Mounties Head to World Snowshoe Championships
Williams College Sports Information,
12:24PM / Friday, December 21, 2018
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Lilly Wells, now a freshman at Williams College, competes in cross country for Mount Greylock in 2017.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Williamstown resident and a freshman member of the Williams College women's cross country and track & field teams Lilly Wells will compete in the World Junior Snowshoe Championships Jan. 5 in Val di Non, Italy. 
 
The Mount Greylock Regional School graduate is new to the sport of snowshoe racing.
 
"My dad started snowshoe running several years before and he encouraged me to try it," Wells said. "As an avid runner, it was a natural transition. I started snowshoe racing last year.
 
Wells qualified for the junior world championships last year at the U.S. National Junior Snowshoe Championships that were held at nearby Prospect Mountain in Woodford, Vt. last March.
 
"As a junior, I raced a 5k," she said. "The racing was especially slow and difficult because Prospect had received more 30 inches of fresh snow in the preceding days. But, I've never seen the mountain look so beautiful. Everything was covered in fluffy powder.
 
"I initially picked up snowshoe racing to do along with Nordic skiing in the winter to help me train for track and cross country. I was really lucky to have several close friends in high school who were also into it and would go for snowy expeditions with me on the weekends."
 
Wells transferred from Mohawk Trail Regional to Mount Greylock as a senior and helped the Mounties win state championships in cross country and Nordic skiing.
 
"I'm lucky to come from Western Mass. and have always lived in an area with lots of snow," Wells. "This region is especially fertile to snowshoe running with Dion snowshoes, one of the main companies making snowshoes, located just north in Bennington, Vt.
 
"As a member of the cross country and track teams here at Williams, I've been preparing for the race with my training. Unfortunately, I'm currently recovering from an injury and have been mostly cross training for the past few months. But, I've been lucky to be supported by our trainer Yasmin Wilkinson and my coaches who have helped me recover and return to running healthy." 
 
Wells and her family leave for Italy before New Years for the race on Jan. 5. Wells will see some familiar faces in Italy as her sister Jackie, a Mount Greylock sophomore, and Owen Brandriss, a high school classmate of Lilly's also are competing in the championships.
 
Follow the World Junior Snowshoe Championships: https://worldsnowshoe.org/2019-world-snowshoe-championships-1
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