When the season began, the UCLA women’s mile relay team was not on anyone’s radar. But after its dominating performances of late, it will be hard for the team to be overlooked going into next week’s NCAA Championships.

The youthful Bruin 4x400-meter relay team has come on strong to close out the season and will look to cap the year with top honors.

Anchored by sophomore All-American hurdler Nicole Leach, the relay squad captured the Western Regional title last weekend, blowing away the field with a season-best time of 3:32.55, nearly three seconds ahead of second-place Arizona State, who barely edged out the Bruins for the Pac-10 mile relay crown two weeks ago.

But after struggling indoors and coping with injuries throughout the season, the team is finally hitting its stride.

“We have some great athletes,” coach Jeanette Bolden said. “They are tremendously talented; it was just a matter of getting everyone together at the same time and trying to manage everybody. I just knew that eventually we would be there.”

As the season progressed, the UCLA mile relay team juggled different lineup changes, but has now settled into a permanent arrangement of Johanna Monthe, Maris Wisdom, Krystin Lacy and Leach. The team has skyrocketed up the national list and as of last weekend owns the country’s sixth-best mark.

The Bruins are in a prime position to nab All-American honors, a feat no Bruin team has accomplished since 2004, when UCLA finished fourth.

And while this team has done well up to this point, there is still plenty of room for the Bruins to grow.

“We are certainly capable of running a lot faster,” Bolden said.

“I still don’t know how fast they can run because we haven’t had a lot of opportunities with this particular corps.”

WILLIAMS QUALIFIES: With all of the attention focused on superstar long jumper Rhonda Watkins, redshirt junior Renee Williams has quietly put together an impressive season.

Williams, who has already earned two All-American honors in jumps, will travel to the NCAA Championships next weekend and look to steal some points for the Bruins in the long jump.

Williams currently stands 11th on the national list and has been improving all season under jumps coach Mike Powell.

“My goal is to get through the meet without being in too much pain and jumping what I know I am capable of jumping,” Williams said.

Last year, Williams received All-American honors in the triple jump and thought she would not qualify in that event this season. Williams believes her best event is really long jump.

“Triple jump is more like my fun event that I get to do. There isn’t any pressure,” Williams said. “I do a lot more with the long jump, especially this season.”