Ashwaubenon Diving

My old friend, and yours, still doesn't know how to start a fresh post on this page. All he can do is reply to existing posts. So, Rich, old pal, here you go! The page is yours:

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Sad news regarding my long-time friend, a man that most of you out there probably know as "Coach Rich". From the info that I received, Rich Maes had two bad events in May.
On the 7th, his handicapped modified van was struck by an F-150 (twice). Rich was shaken up, and seemed ok, but the van needed MAJOR repairs! The van should be all fixed up in 7-10 days (today is May 29.
But, there is more! On May 25, Rich was taken to the hospital with chest pains. He had the full battery of tests, images, nuclear medicine, and more done. They scanned every part of his body for clots, and scanned every major organ. Result: It was not a heart attack or any other organ causing the pain. BUT his heart has VERY serious blockage, to the point that the doctors are surprised that he is still alive. Angioplasty or bi-passes are not viable options! The only thing that would improve his health is a transplant, but his age and numerous medical conditions make him very unlikely to even get on the transplant list.
It looks like my college pal, a guy that I always loved, respected, and admired, is left in the hands of his creator. We don't know how much time Rich has left, probably 2-5 years, maybe more, but a significant illness or "health event" could end it abruptly.

Rich and I shared many moments in our college days, discussing our Christianity (I am Greek Orthodox, Rich is Roman Catholic). He strongly believes in prayer and miracles. Right now, he could use a lot of the former and at least one of the latter.
I am sure there are a lot of people on this page that love Rich. Please, remember him with prayers, if you will.

Thank you

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When gas is $3.99/gallon, you have to save any way you can. With KwikTrip fuel discounts plus Festival credits we knocked that price down!

Already looking forward to the 2028 summer Olympics in LA! DIVING will be July 16-28 and SWIMMING July 22-30! No mention of TRACK and FIELD, but maybe they fall under "ATHLETICS". I love the Olympics!

Charles graduated 8 years before Coach, but Rich considers him a "brother in diving", both veterans of the OLD pool at Ashwaubenon High School.

Charles "Chaz" Philip Slavek Obituary - Green Bay Press-Gazette Charles “Chaz” Philip Slavek, faithful husband and loving father and grandfather, passed away at the age of 74 on October 4, 2025. Charlie was...

Today's senior spotlight is Nevaeh Clayton! Congratulations, Nevaeh!

[Don't miss the "clip" at the very end of this post!]

To all our loyal followers, thank you. Rich and I agreed that I have posted plenty (maybe too many) photos of him diving, in the 70s.

He knows I was a huge fan and if it weren't for him, I would not have learned so much about diving and fallen in love with the sport. In his freshman year, he went unbeaten on his home boards! He had a few defeats on the road, but was always competitive in the NCAA meets. In his club meets and AAU meets he went against the best in the world, including his idol, Greg Louganis. He would always place, but not as well as he did in the NCAA.

I would often catch the end of his daily pm practice before we woud go to the GYM, weight room, running or any combination. We had a group of about 5 guys with varied backgrounds so we pushed each other to be better in anything we did.

I don't think I will post any more, but I have one clip from a Facebook post of Rich's 12 years ago, that I shared with friends for some laughs. This is just a small clip, but it is a "snapshot" of Rich in his 50s.

". . . we are watching splash, people from 4'2" to 7'2" and from 117 lbs to 417 lbs, competitive diving. My favorite diver of all time is the coach this year, Greg Louganis. Just waiting for Louis Anderson to dive from the 7m (commercial break). . ."

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