Seated from left, Cassie Spurling and Noland Glenn; and standing from left, Guy DeLoach and Chachi Averitt
Kevin Hudson, Noland Glenn, and Chachi Averitt
Kevin Hudson, Cassie Spurling, and Chachi Averitt
Lee University signed Noland Glenn and Cassie Spurling to its fly fishing team. Family, friends, fellow team members, and mentors gathered in the Walker Arena in support of the newest additions to the Lee University Anglers.
“We are excited about Noland and Cassie joining our team,” said Dr. Guy DeLoach, Lee Anglers coach and associate professor of business. “They will enable us to lead nationally in collegiate competition fly fishing and continue our position as one of the top educational programs in the country.”
Glenn grew up in Canton, Ga., and began fly fishing five years ago recreationally. It wasn’t until he went to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes tournament that he began to take the sport seriously. While he was at the tournament, he met fellow Lee teammate and USA Youth Team member Mason Sims.
“Mason took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew about fly fishing,” said Glenn. “He showed me what competition fishing was, and it just exploded after that. I spent two entire summers with him in the water fishing.”
Glenn was selected for the USA Youth Fly Fishing Team, made up of the top 20 youth fly fishers in the nation, during the summer of 2015. He competed with the team until the summer of 2016 when he aged out and became an alumni member. That same summer, Glenn competed at the Youth National Championships with his team, placing personally at #7 and his team finishing in the #3 spot.
“Noland is an incredible addition to our team at Lee,” said Chachi Averitt, Lee Anglers assistant coach and director of TRAIL Ministries, an outdoor discipleship ministry. “Noland’s experience with Team USA has and will continue to help grow what we are building. His fly fishing knowledge is top notch. His leadership will be essential to our success in the future.”
Glenn visited Lee for a tour in fall 2016. “I knew Mason was at Lee, so I came and toured.” The sophomore business administration major enrolled spring 2017.
Glenn also works as a fly fishing guide for Alpharetta Outfitters and continues to give back to the fly fishing world by helping manage FCA fundraising tournaments. He is currently a Pro Staff for Cortland Rod Company.
"I am blessed,” said Glenn when reflecting on how God has worked in his life and through fly fishing.
Spurling, of Murphy, N.C., has been fly fishing since she was six. It wasn’t until she went on a trip out west at the age of 11 that Spurling began to dedicate most of her time to the sport.
“I grew up around fly fishing,” said Spurling. “My dad was my biggest mentor; he taught me everything.”
In 2014, Spurling began working as a fly fishing guide at Blue Ridge Fly Fishing in Blue Ridge, Ga. It was on one of the tours that she met DeLoach, and he began talking to her about Lee’s fly fishing program.
A year later the name Lee University popped back up on her radar. “I thought it wouldn’t hurt to reach out and talk to them.”
The freshman business management major transferred from Haywood Community College this spring. Since coming to Lee, Spurling has continued to hone her fly fishing skills and competed in her first collegiate tournament this month.
“We are excited to have Cassie here at Lee with us,” said Averitt. “She is an excellent addition to the team, both on and off the water. Her ability to learn and adapt quickly has already helped us win. She is an excellent teacher with other teammates as well.”
Spurling is currently signed as Pro Staff with Scott Fly Rods and Orvis, among other companies. She was recently featured in a Blue Ridge Outdoors article as one of the six most influential women in the world of fly fishing.
“I am super thankful to be here and for the people who got me here,” said Spurling. “I’m excited for what is to come.”
Also in attendance at Thursday’s signing were Brian Conn, director of public relations at Lee; Darren Echols, Lee’s director of admissions; Kevin Hudson, director of Lee campus recreation; and Dewayne Thompson, chairperson for Lee’s Department of Business, among others.
Lee University began its fly fishing program in spring 2014 in conjunction with the International Federation of Fly Fishers. In 2016, the team signed Mason Sims, the 2015 world champion USA Youth Fly Fishing Team member and silver medalist. Winston Rods currently sponsors the team.
For more information about Lee University’s fly fishing program and team, contact DeLoach at gdeloach@leeuniversity.edu.