2024-2025
Indoors – Canaan competed in 4 meets during the indoor season, including a 4 th place finish in the TTU Stan Scott heptathlon with 4,995 points. At the WAC championship, he finished 3 rd in the heptathlon and 6 th in the 60 hurdles. His total of 5,366 in the heptathlon was a personal best - he also set 3 new personal bests in individual events – 60 hurdles (7.99), high jump (6 7.5/2.02m), and 1000-meter run (2:45.85). He also had the best performances in three of the events during the hep – the 60, 60 hurdle, and HJ.
Outdoors – he competed in 8 meets in a very busy outdoor season. Opened the season with a 4 th place finish in the 110 hurdles in a new personal best of 14.14; 3 rd in the Bobcat Invitational in the decathlon with 6,910 points; 7 th in the TTU Masked Rider 110H; 6 th in the Joe Gillespie long jump; and 9 th in the Horned Frog Invitational. He would have one of the most sterling performances in recent Wildcat T&F history in winning the decathlon. In a back-and-forth competition with Casey Tow of Grand Canyon University, Canaan entered the final event of the decathlon in 2 nd place by 7 points. The 1500 run saw the lead exchanged repeatedly in the race between Canaan and the GCU decathlete, but Canaan chased down Tow in the final 50 meters of the race and finished far enough ahead in the 1500 to win the decathlon by 5 points. His personal best decathlon total in winning the WAC Championship was an incredible 656 points better than his previous personal best. Canaan had personal bests in 8 of the 10 events during the competition – 100 (10.53), LJ (23-1.25/7.04m), SP (39-3.25/11.97m), 400 (48.66), DT (127-9/38.94m), PV (13-11.75/4.26m), JT (149-8/45.63m) and the final event of the day, the 1500 (4:24.42). He ended up with the best performance in the competition in all 4 running events (100, 110H, 400, and 1500) as well as the LJ. After those 2 days to win the decathlon, he also ran the 2 nd leg on the 5 th place 4x400 relay.

2023-2024
Indoors – competed in 5 indoor meets. Started his ACU career by winning the HJ and getting 3rd in the 60H at the JD Martin Invitational in Norman, OK. At the Charlie Thomas Invite in College Station, placed 6th in the HJ and 7th in the 60H. At the WAC Championship at the Albuquerque Convention Center, Canaan placed 5th in his first- ever competitive heptathlon, scoring 5,124 points. 
Outdoors - competing in 7 meets outdoors, Canaan opened the season winning the 110H in PR time of 14.46 and placing 4th in the LJ at the Wes Kittley Invitational at Elmer Gray Stadium. In early April, he completed his first decathlon wearing the Purple and White, placing 4th at the David Noble Relays with a score of 6,600 points. Finishing the season, Canaan placed 4th in the WAC Championship in the decathlon with new PR of 6,844 points. He also just missed the finals in the open 110H, falling short of the finals by a scant .06 of a second.

2022-2023
Indoors – redshirt, but competed unattached in 2 meets at Texas Tech. 
Outdoors – redshirt, but competed in 6 meets unattached: winning the HSU Invite 110H; getting 4th in the Wes Kittley Invitational HJ; placing 5th in his first ever decathlon at the David Noble Multi in San Angelo (6,067 pts); and finishing the redshirt season in the Oliver Jackson Twilight meet by getting 7th in the 110H (14.84), 8th  in the javelin (131- 9), and 9th in the 400 (49.60).

Before ACU
Was named the San Antonio Johnson HS Senior Athlete of the Year after a terrific senior year in both football and T&F. He was an all-district wide receiver (both 2021 and 2022) and team captain for the football team in the fall of his senior year. Then, in the spring of 2022, Canaan had a fantastic T&F season. In the District 28-6A meet, he won three events (the 110 hurdles, the 300 hurdles, and the high jump), as well as getting 2nd in the 100 and 7th in the long jump. At the Region IV-6A meet, Canaan finished 2nd in both the 110H and 300H (thus qualifying for the state meet), as well as placing 4th in the 100 and 6th in the high jump. At the state meet in Austin, he placed 5th in the 300 hurdles and 6th in the 110 hurdles. He leaves high school as the school record holder in the 300 hurdles. With HS bests of 10.67 in the 100, 14.29 in the 110 hurdles, 37.66 in the 300 hurdles, 6-4 in the high jump and 21-1 in the long jump, he trains in the combined events – the decathlon outdoors and the heptathlon indoors.

Personal
A 2022 graduate of Claudia Taylor Johnson HS in San Antonio. In addition to his exploits in football and T&F at Johnson, Canaan was also active in student organizations Criminal Justice Club and Students with Voices. His parents are Aaron and Veronique Barnes and Michael Fairley. He is a Political Science/Legal Studies major, with a goal of attending law school. During his time at ACU, Canaan has held 2 internships with law firms in San Antonio, as well as an internship with the Texas Court of Appeals under Judge Kevin Yeary. He is also a Jack Pope Fellow and the Corresponding Officer in the Pre-Law Society. He is active as a volunteer at the University Church of Christ.

Why did you choose ACU? I felt that ACU is a place where ambition is the norm, not the exception. The culture, the mentorship, and the expectations matched the standard I set for myself. It wasn’t just a school — it was the environment that would sharpen me the most.

What is your favorite thing at ACU? The people. Teammates, professors, and mentors who push you, challenge you, and expect your best. ACU is full of individuals with purpose — and that energy is what makes this place special.