Senior Canaday wins Chick-fil-A Invitational

Aug. 26—Perhaps there's a small part of Brandon Canaday that would rather run anywhere but his own home course for a regional championship in two months.

The Coach Willie Barbera Memorial Cross Country Course, which the Woodrow Wilson senior has called his home for four years now, isn't exactly a favorite among the sport's competitors.

"I think it's pretty widely known, especially to the local teams, that this is the worst course ouit," Canaday said. "Basically it's rolling hills from the start. The only rest you have is coming around the back side of the school, it's a little flat. And you've got the downhills right here and right here (motioning). That's it."

Canaday was able to overcome it all Saturday morning, winning the 12th annual Beckley Chick-fil-A Invitational on another muggy late-August morning.

Canaday traversed the challenging course in 17 minutes, 5 seconds. He crossed the finish eight seconds ahead of runner-up Johnny Walkup of Nicholas County.

"To start off the season with a win is really good," Canaday said. "This is not an easy course at all. And it's always hot, it's always muggy. It was a little bit better than last year. Last year it was like 80-some degrees, (maybe) in the 70s. Still, though, no shade, rolling hills. It takes a lot of heart to battle it out."

Canaday — who was running with a shoulder injury that will require surgery in November — labeled the event as "normally my worst race." It took him 18:25 to complete the course in both his freshman and junior seasons — he missed the entire 2021 season with a stress fracture in his shin — so he shaved well over a minute from those times on Saturday.

"It's about 30 seconds off my PR, so not my best, but to start off like this, it's promising for the end of the season for sure," Canaday said.

"Brandon's been training like a beast," coach George Barbera said.

"He pushes to the front of the pack. The boys are keying on him, but he's definitely our leader right now. We're going to try to get the guys closer to him, but he's running like a true leader and having the senior year he wanted to have."

The Region 3 meet will be held in Beckley in October, and Canaday will be looking to reclaim the title he won as a freshman. Maybe, just maybe, it would be easier on another course, but Canaday concedes there's no place like home.

"Anywhere," he said with a smile, "but I feel like I have the advantage here."

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Canaday's performance helped lead the Woodrow boys to the team championship with 66 points. The Flying Eagles had four other top 20 placers in Brady Whitehead (12th), Kyle Peters (16th), Robert Shirey (17th) and Michael Haddadin (20th).

Whitehead and Peters are freshmen.

"They really raced with pride today," Barbera said. "And the girls, too. Lauren (Curtis) took to it today. She had one of her best races on this course. The rest of the girls packed up right behind her."

The Woodrow girls finished third (82) with top 20 runners Curtis (seventh), Kyndall Ince (14th), Cecilia Lindley (15th) and Hannah Keiling (20th). The Flying Eagles finished behind champion St. Albans (53) and runner-up Braxton County (61).

Greenbrier East was fourth (127), paced by freshman Neena McClintic's overall fifth place finish (fourth in team points) with a time of 21:03.

Violet Wall of Jefferson Christian (Va.) won with a time of 19:41.

Beckley Chick-fil-A Invitational

High School

Boys Team

Woodrow Wilson 66, Charleston Catholic 74, George Washington 97, Jefferson Christian 108, PikeView 123, Nicholas County 136, St. Albans 195, Oak Hill 216, Clay County 229, Princeton 238, Liberty 247

Individual (Top 20)

Brandon Canaday (WW) 17:05; Johnny Walkup (NC) 17:13; Kirklen Hinamon (GW) 17:33; James Stalnaker (JC) 17:34; Luke Barr (NC) 17:45; Will Barton (CC) 18:04; Tyler Huffman (PV) 18:12; Gavin Baldwin (GW) 18:22.3; Josiah Lavender (SA) 18:22.9; Jonathan Stalnaker (JC) 18:27; Sawyer Dobbins (CC) 18:29; Brady Whitehead (WW) 18:39; Isaac Collins (CC) 18:41; Nate Cook (PV) 18:44; Hunter Perry (CC) 18:53; Hank Marson (B)19:05.0; Kyle Peters (WW) 19:05.2; Robert Shirey (WW) 19:08; Micah Hale (Cap)19:17; Zachary Neal (Pr) 19:23

Girls Team

St. Albans 53; Braxton County 61; Woodrow Wilson 82; Greenbrier East 127; George Washington 131; Oak Hill 145; Charleston Catholic 159; PikeView 176; Nicholas County 207; Scott 275; River View 313

Individual (Top 20)

Violet Hall (Jefferson Christian)19:41; Arabella Boggs (CC) 19:54; Laura Cain (BC) 20:48; Abigail Torman (SA) 20:53; Neena McClintic (GE) 21:03; Ava Mitias (GW) 22:05; Emma Shirey (Jefferson Christian)22:10; Olivia Devereux (SA) 22:11; Lauren Curtis (WW) 22:12; Hannah Fisher (CC) 22:23; Makayla Carter (SA) 22:31; Addison Lloyd (BC) 22:34; Katie Collins (James Monroe)22:38; Leah Payne (BC) 22:48; Carli Spade (PV) 22:53; Abby Dixon (James Monroe)23:02; Chrissa Mayfield (OH) 23:08; Avery Lilly (Summers County)23:10; Kyndall Ince (WW) 23:25; Cecilia Lindley (WW) 23:36; Ava Templeton (SA) 23:36; Teagan Huff (BC) 23:43; Haley Johnson (NC) 23:47; Summer Devereux (SA) 24:03; Baylee Jarrett (Richwood)24:13; Hannah Keiling (WW) 24:25

Middle School

Boys Team

Charleston Catholic 44, John Adams 84, Braxton County 99, PikeView 145; Eastern Greenbrier 167; Elkview 180; Oak Hill 208; Teays Valley Christian 209; Princeton 215; Park 233; Summersville 244; Madison 274; Trap Hill 304

Individual (Top 20)

Luke Passmore (CC) 11:28; Teddy Passmore (CC) 11:34; Sam Born (E) 11:46; Brody Lester (Oceana)11:50; Bryson Pritchett (PV) 11:53; Grayson Adams (EG) 12:08; Ira Ransbottom (BC) Isaiah Via (PV) 12:33; Keelan Remy (OH) 12:39; Kyree Ford (JA), Luke Collis (PV) 12:42.6; Brody Shockey (TVC) 12:48; Solomon Shirey (Jefferson Christian)12:51; Dapry Broyles (Peterstown)12:54; Skyler Broyles (Peterstown)13:03.1; Owen Bowden (Jefferson Christian)13:03.5; Oldrick MacCallum (JA) 13:08; Athan Goff (CC) 13:09; Cole Boggs (CC) 13:14; Felix Maramba (JA) 13:15; William Ballard (JA) 13:19; Holden Lloyd (BC) 13:19; Hayden Broyles (Peterstown)13:20; Reid Neal (Pr) 13:26; Reid Stanley (Richwood)13:27; Zach Lindley (Beckley-Stratton)13:27; Chance Moore (Park) 13:35

Girls Team

Oak Hill 64; Elkview 67; John Adams 72; Braxton County 94; Eastern Greenbrier 116; Summersville 154; Peterstown 166; Princeton 222; Clay County 234; Park 238; PikeView 264; Madison 334

Individual (Top 20)

Maysen Fletcher (E) 11:38; Rylee Wright (Charleston Catholic)12:58; Arabella Holly (OH) 13:53; Kynlee Nary 13:54; (E) 13:54; Isabella Harris (E) 14:17; Natalie Garrett (BC) 14:24; Jillian Styles (EG) 14:30; Brynlee Deaton (S) 14:32; Marissa Atha (Clay) 14:33; Bailee King (Charleston Catholic)14:36; Julianna Shirey (Jefferson Christian)14:40.3; Leila Smith (OH) 14:40.6; Giana Martino (JA) 14:50; Haley Knapp (JA) 14:51; Gabriella Brown (OH) 14:54; Eva Aylor (OH) 14:59; Chandler Sharp (JA) 15:08; Lexi Blanchard (JA) 15:09; Shaelee Flanagan (S) 15:10; Emma Vincent (EG) 15:11; Caroline Perilli (EG) 15:12; Reece Carpenter (BC) 15:27; Bella Rollyson (BC) 15:29

runner from incomplete team, does not factor in team points