DATE: Saturday, March 1, 1997               TAG: 9703010630

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   53 lines

PHYSICIAN WRESTLES BUSY SCHEDULE TO KEEP LOCAL ATHLETES ON THE MAT

Is there a doctor in the house?

Dr. D.D. Conkwright has been a part of Virginia high school wrestling since 1954.

He also has worked four national high school championships and was asked to participate in the Atlanta Olympic Games last summer. Unfortunately, he couldn't leave his Virginia Beach family practice for that long.

``I've been doing this for some years now,'' said Conkwright - the official tournament physician at this year's state tournament at Oscar Smith High. ``The rules say that a doctor has to do some of the things instead of a trainer and I've always been around.''

Conkwright has also been a mainstay at Cox wrestling matches for years, starting as a volunteer coach when the school opened. Two sons - Scott and Chris - earned seven state titles between them while wrestling for the Falcons.

Conkwright, a former wrestler in the Navy, earned a volunteer award from the Virginia High School League two years ago and was honored recently by the Falcons.

And even at 72, he still looks fit and trim enough to take on some of the youngsters competing in this year's event.

``I still work out every day,'' he said. ``I love wrestling.''

THANKS DOC: Western Branch 145-pounder Chris Mendez advanced to today's noon semifinals and has Conkwright to thank.

A notorious nose bleeder, Mendez had to call a medical timeout in his first match because blood was pouring from both nostrils. Conk-wright just barely beat the five-minute time limit by stuffing each nostril with gauze and then wrapping tape around Mendez's head and over the nose.

It didn't look pretty, but it worked.

He had to repeat the task during Mendez's 4-2 overtime quarterfinal victory.

``I feel fortunate to make it this far,'' Mendez said. ``We were down to 20 seconds when he fixed it the first match.

``When he tapes it up like that, it makes it hard to breath.''

Mendez isn't going to take any chances today.

``I was thinking about plugging it up with gauze before this match,'' he said. ``I think that's what I'll do tomorrow.''

DON'T MESS WITH THE BIG CAT: Oscar Smith 275-pounder Rafael Butts might have come up with the most unusual way yet to warm up.

Between matches Friday, Butts donned the Tigers' mascot outfit and paraded around the gym.

``Yep, that was me,'' last year's state runner-up said after a quarterfinal pin to advance. ``It's hot in there, but I just wanted to be a part of all this.''

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