The Illinois wrestling travel party leaves for the NCAA meet on Tuesday. The way out is all good, with the coaches, wrestlers and administration flying from Chicago's Midway Airport to Omaha, Neb. Their flight will be in the air for about an hour.

The trip back won't be quite as quick. Because of a lack of departing flights from Omaha on Sunday, the Illini won't be taking a plane home. Instead, they will have a 490-mile drive home to Champaign-Urbana.

Here's the good part: Illinois coach Jim Heffernan will be driving past his alma mater, Iowa. It's the halfway point between Omaha and C-U and the perfect place to stop for a quick bite to eat.

Three Illini have qualified for the NCAA meet, including one of the favorites at 184 pounds, senior John Dergo. The other two Illini are 174-pounder Jordan Blanton and 197-pounder Patrick Bond. The wrestling starts Thursday morning at the Qwest Center.