Holmes nominated for athlete of the year

*Santonio Holmes nominated for Academy's Athlete of the Year for 2009 *
Who were the greatest athletes of 2009? Have your say in the United States Sports Academy's Athlete of the Year balloting, presented to the world by NBCSports.com and USATODAY.com. Balloting begins at noon, 1 December 2009.
 
The Athlete of the Year ballot is the culmination of the Academy's yearlong Athlete of the Month program, which recognizes the accomplishments of men and women in sports around the globe. The Academy Athlete of the Month is selected by an international voting committee comprised of members of the media, sports organizations and governing bodies.
 
There are 12 male and 12 female candidates for Athlete of the Year. The Male and Female Athlete of the Year awards will go to the athletes that receive the most votes. Votes can be submitted on the Academy's website at http://ussa.edu/ballots/athlete-of-the-year. The athlete with the most votes regardless of gender will be the Overall Athlete of the Year.
 
Balloting is open until 24 December. Last year's winners were 2008 Olympic stars Michael Phelps and Nastia Liukin.