Session 1: Brackets / Team Scores / Photos
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The American University wrestling team has three of its five wrestlers still alive in the championship bracket following Session 1 of the 2012 NCAA Championships from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

The opening session on Thursday was highlighted by No. 1 heavyweight Ryan Flores, who earned two falls to improve to 19-0 on the season with 15 falls. Flores began his tournament in the "pigtail" round, jumping out to a big lead before pinning Edinboro's Ernest James at the 5:36 mark. He then faced Missouri's Devon Mellon and ended the bout in a similar fate with a fall at 4:23. He is the only wrestler in the tournament with two falls.

American won two other first round matches, both in come-from-behind fashions. No. 5 Ganbayar Sanjaa needed sudden victory time to defeat Ohio State's Josh Demas, 6-4, at 157 lbs. while Kevin Tao recorded a 6-2 decision at 149 lbs. over Dan Osterman of Michigan State.

AU's other two wrestlers in the first round were No. 11 Matt Mariacher (141 lbs.), who dropped an 8-4 decision to Old Dominion's Justin LaValle. Additionally, at 197 lbs., Daniel Mitchell came up on the short end of a 10-2 major decision to No. 9 Alfonso Hernandez of Wyoming.

Through the first session, American sits in 13th place in the team standings with 10.0 points. Penn State currently leads the team race with 25.5 points.

All five AU wrestlers will be back in action on Thursday night in the second round of the championship bracket or the wrestlebacks. Be sure to follow and join the conversation on AUeagles.com's live blog, which will start back up on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Additionally, check back with the NCAA Wrestling Homepage on AUeagles.com for all the latest from St. Louis.

Kevin Tao– 149
Facing Michigan State's Dan Osterman in his first round bout, Tao fell behind 2-1 through one period. Tao began the second period on top, but after Osterman was forced to take injury time, Tao elected to restart on bottom and earned a quick escape. Tied at two through two periods, Tao earned a quick escape at the start of the third period and then recorded a key takedown to make it 5-2. With riding time, Tao earned the 6-2 decision and will take on Oklahoma's Nick Lester in Thursday night's second round.

No. 5 Ganbayar Sanjaa – 157
Similar to Tao, Sanjaa faced an early deficit, trailing Ohio State's Josh Demas, 4-2, through one period. Sanjaa started the second period on top and rode Demas the entire two minutes, earning a big riding time lead. Sanjaa then got the quick escape to cut the deficit to 4-3 and the two wrestlers required extra time as a result of Sanjaa's riding time advantage. In sudden victory, Sanjaa was able to earn the takedown to move onto Thursday's second round against No. 12 Steven Monk of North Dakota State.

Daniel Mitchell – 197
Mitchell dropped a 10-2 major decision to No. 9 Alfonso Hernandez of Wyoming. Hernandez took a 2-0 lead through one period and extended it to 5-0 after two on an escape and a takedown. Hernandez continued to control the action in the third period en route to the victory. Mitchell will face Harvard's James Fox in the wrestlebacks with his tournament fate on the line.

No. 1 Ryan Flores – HWT
Flores became the only wrestler in the tournament to earn two falls with his pigtail pin of Edinboro's Ernest James and his first round victory over Missouri's Devon Mellon. Against James, Flores took a 5-0 lead through one period on a takedown and a near-fall and made it 7-0 through two. Flores eventually extended the lead to 10-0 early in third before recording the fall at 5:36. Then in the first round bout versus Mellon, after a scoreless opening period, Flores got an escape and a takedown early in the second to register a 3-0 lead.  Moments later, Flores turned the takedown into a pin at 4:23 to close out the match and move onto Thursday's second round bout against Eastern Michigan's Wesley Schroeder.