Moon Township, Pa. - Freshman Aubree Ray (Middletown, Pa. / Middletown) of the Robert Morris University women's track & field team was honored in the inaugural weekly award winners handed out by the Northeast Conference Tuesday, as she was tabbed NEC Rookie of the Week.

Ray highlighted the Colonials in their season-opening meet at the Wake Forest Open in Winston-Salem, N.C., last weekend, earning bronze in the discus thanks to a throw of 43.01 meters (141'1").

The toss by Ray in the discus trailed only Kayla Padgett of East Carolina (45.71 meters) and Jessica Rowland of Findlay (43.85 meters) and was good enough to qualify her for the 2012 IC4A/ECAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships later this season.

Ray's tally at Wake Forest also helps her become the early NEC event leader in the discus, and her fling would have topped the field at the 2011 NEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Robert Morris continues its 2012 season by taking part in the Florida State Relays in Tallahassee, Florida, March 22-24.