On Friday afternoon, the wrestling room was filled with members of the Jesuit community who gathered to pay tribute to Nicholas Charles ’14. By donating new wrestling mats in his memory, Charles’s parents, his uncle Doug Charles ’83, and his entire family sought to honor the late wrestler, who bravely combated a rare form of cancer.

During the crowded ceremony, Fr. John Brown, S.J., blessed the new mats. David Charles ’82, Nicholas’ father, presented a photograph of Nicholas while sharing reflections on his son’s commitment to excellence in wrestling during his time at Jesuit. The resilience, determination, and spirit that Nicholas honed on the mats were the same qualities he carried into his courageous fight against cancer at the age of 20.

Head coach Jon Orillion ’01 and the wrestling team presented the Charles family with a framed plaque of Nicholas. Additionally, two assistant coaches shared a personal connection with Nicholas: Carlos “Los” Bertot ’86, who introduced Nicholas to wrestling and who currently serves as a junior high assistant coach, and Spencer Harris ’89, a varsity assistant coach who led Nicholas to a state runner-up position in his senior year.

Further marking the family’s ties to Jesuit’s storied wrestling program, Christopher Charles ’20 and current pre-freshman Evan Morel, Nicholas’s cousin, have also wrestled for the Jays.