Northwestern University's NCAA championship women's lacrosse team gained more exposure from its visit to the White House than anticipated.

On July 12, the Wildcats were one of several teams invited to the nation's capital to be honored by President George W. Bush. Their visit, however, sparked, of all things, a national fashion debate about whether it was appropriate for student-athletes to wear flip-flop sandals for the occasion.

While the conversation flip-flopped between generation gaps and and style preferences on NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America, the Northwestern team turned the "incident" into a positive by auctioning off the autographed footwear, raising more than $3,000 for 10-year-old Jaclyn Murphy, who is suffering with brain cancer.

"It shows what type of people these women are," said Northwestern coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, whose team went 21-0 last spring. "The fact that they had been so close with Jaclyn all season long and the fact that we could help her in a significant way, our NCAA championship seems trivial compared to what she's going through. It's funny in terms of her fight -- she thinks that what we've done is the best thing ever."

Amonte Hiller and her assistant, Alexis Venechanos, became aware of Jaclyn's plight through intermediaries. The Northwestern student-athletes were then told about Murphy, who lives in Hopewell Junction, New York, and an immediate bond developed.

"They communicated on a daily basis, and they still continue to do so," said Amonte Hiller, whose team won Northwestern's first national championship in a women's sport. "Being involved with her gave our players a sense of what life is really about, and how important it is to enjoy the time you do have. You never know what's going to happen tomorrow. That was our philosophy all season long. The whole Jaclyn connection and being involved with her really gave our women perspective."

Amonte Hiller was an all-American player at the University of Maryland, College Park, winning two NCAA titles as a player. She was invited to a White House reception then, and after the Wildcats won this year's crown, Amonte Hiller added to the celebration.

"Right after we beat Virginia for the national championship I told them that they would be going to the White House," Amonte Hiller said. "They didn't know that and I told them right after. They were yelling and screaming with excitement. They thought it was so special."

The team toured the downstairs area of the White House and later visited the House of Representatives. They also met President Bush, along with the championship softball team from the University of Michigan and the women's ice hockey team from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

"Our players were overwhelmed by the reception," Amonte Hiller said. "Winning a national championship in the fourth year of the program -- and it being the first female national championship in the history of Northwestern and only the second one in school history makes it special. There was a lot of attention for us overall and not just the flip-flops.

"Hopefully, we represented ourselves in a positive manner. Hopefully, people recognize how smart, how athletic and what good people these women are."