The 2003 NCAA Champion Illinois men's tennis team received an invitation to travel to the White House to meet President George W. Bush on Tuesday. Several times each year the NCAA champions in various sports travel to the White House.

"This is great," Illinois associate head coach Bruce Berque said. "It's good exposure for the team and the program. The guys will be able to see what's involved in the day-to-day operations at the White House."

Illinois sophomore Ryler DeHeart traveled to the White House once before, on a tour with his mother Debbie. He knows this experience will be much different.

"The last time I went (to the White House) I was really young," DeHeart said. "I don't remember much about it. This time is going to be a lot different. We'll get to see things that most people don't get to see. I didn't really know that other schools that won the NCAA titles got to go to the White House or that we'd be going since we won."

Many of the other Illini were skeptical when head coach Craig Tiley gathered the men after practice to inform them that they were scheduled to board a private plane at Willard Airport early in the morning on Nov. 17 for a day-long trip to the capital.

"Usually, I wouldn't believe Craig if he said something like that," Illinois senior Phil Stolt said. "But, I heard through other sources that we might be going, so I knew he was serious. I'm just going to bring a video or digital camera and take as many pictures as possible. It's just so surreal."

For junior Chris Martin, the entire experience is still unreal.

"Going to the White House and meeting the President is an honor and a privilege," Martin said. "It means that we've done something worthwhile, that we deserve to get recognized for. I don't really know what to expect. I'm sure the President will say 'Congratulations' and I'll say 'Thank you very much, Sir.'"

The 2003 NCAA champions realize that they've been given a great opportunity.

"There have been a lot of perks that have come along with winning the title," Stolt said. "We always think about last year, and how if one or two things had gone differently that we wouldn't have won. I'm really happy that I hit a couple of those aces down the stretch. A couple of points could have made all the difference. And, at the same time, we're fortunate that things turned out the way that they did and that we have the memories that we do."

Tiley is just as excited about the trip as his troops, who will help Bush expand his wardrobe with Illini apparel including an Illinois tie and national championship hat and T-shirt. The team also included a replica navy blue Illini jersey with the President's name on the back, which matches the jerseys the team won when they defeated Vanderbilt 4-3 on May 20 in Athens, Ga., to win their title.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the President of the United States," Tiley said. "I have some friends that are senators, so I'm looking forward to seeing them when we're there, but it's an honor for the team and the school for us to be invited to go to the White House."