Nansemond River High School senior guard Devon Oakley is in the running for the title of 2013 Ultimate Athlete presented by Asics in a competition put on by USA Today High School Sports.

Fans and athletes were invited to nominate candidates who excel in all things athletic, who have battled adversity or who have done something unforgettable in a game.

Warriors head coach Ed Young submitted Oakley’s name based on his strength as a player and a student, stemming from his great work ethic.

“I thought it was really to give a kid a little bit of publicity,” Young said, adding that Oakley deserves recognition at the state level and even beyond.

Oakley desires to play basketball at the Division I level, and Young said he has some attracted interest from about six schools right now.

When he found out that Young had put him up for contest, Oakley said, “I was pretty ecstatic,” adding he was pleased the coach would consider him for it.

From a group of more than 2,000 candidates, a panel formed by USA Today High School Sports narrowed the list down to the top 100 submissions.

“I was kind of tickled that he made that 100 list,” Young said.

Candidates were placed into one of eight divisions based on the alphabetical order of their last names, and voting opened to the public from Nov. 26 to Dec. 6. Oakley received 56,788 votes during this time to win his region, composed of 13 athletes.

The contest is currently in the semifinal round, including 32 athletes, spread evenly over eight divisions. Oakley leads his region with 14,451 votes, and voting ends Dec. 16.

The final round will include eight contestants, with voting open Dec. 17-22.

Oakley was thrilled to see support pour in for him in such a high-profile contest.

When voters visit the contest site, they can read a description of Oakley put together by Young. Oakley said he is most pleased that they will know he is a good student, with a grade point average above 3.0. He plans to major in engineering in college.

The winner of the contest will be given the Ultimate Athlete Trophy at a presentation. The winner also will be the subject of a feature article on the USA Today and USA Today High School Sports website.

Additionally, $1,000 will be donated to the winner’s athletic department, and the athlete will receive $100 of Asics gear and his or her team will receive Asics training or warm-up gear.

There is no limit on the number of times voters can participate. To vote for Oakley in the semifinal round, visit http://contest.usatodayhss.com/vote/asics-2013/round-2/gel-harmony.

Semifinal round voting will close on Monday at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.