ryersonrams.ca will be highlighting all six major awards nominees over the next week leading up to the event.

Today, we are proud to announce the three nominations for the Ryerson Students' Union Female Rookie of the Year. This award was established in 1992-1993 through a presentation to the Department of Athletics and Recreation by the RSU President, Danielle Holmes. The award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by a female athlete in her first year of OUA/CIS competition.

The following Ryerson Rams athletes were nominated by their coaches and chosen as finalists through the awards selection process.

Chelsea Briscoe - Women's Volleyball

Georgetown, Ont. product Chelsea Briscoe was named the OUA rookie of the year after putting together a strong season to begin her post-secondary career with the women's volleyball team. The middle blocker, who was named to the CIS all-rookie squad, finished the year 20th in the conference with 2.92 points per set, while leading the women in total points (191), aces (19) and total blocks (33). Briscoe was ranked 7th in the OUA amongst players with 300-plus attacks with a solid .243 hitting percentage, while appearing in all 18 matches and 65 sets the Rams competed in this year.

Lisa Makeeva - Figure Skating

Freshman figure skater Lisa Makeeva shined in her first year on the OUA circuit. The Toronto native skated to the top of the podium at the OUA championships in London, Ont., capturing a gold medal in the gold freeskate competition. This performance came after the food and nutrition major finished second in the same event at the Fall Invitational in November. Makeeva was named an OUA all-star for her efforts while earning the Rams critical points and helping them to a fifth-place finish overall at the championships; an improvement from their sixth-place result the season before.

Emily Nicholishen - Women's Volleyball

First-year outside hitter Emily Nicholishen made a mark in her opening season with the Rams women's volleyball team. Nicholishen snagged OUA all-rookie honours after finishing the year with an average of 2.88 points per set, ranking her third in team scoring, while tallying 143 total kills. The Whitby, Ont. product was second on the Rams in kills per set (2.47) and digs (141), and appeared in 16 of 18 matches for a total of 53 sets throughout 2011-12.

For full coverage leading up to the 64th Annual Athletic Awards Celebration as well as nominees announcements, follow us at www.ryersonrams.ca or @ryersonrams #RAMMYS on Twitter!