Cars filling the parking lot and thousands in attendance at Memorial Stadium marked the return of the Alabama High School Athletic Association state track and field championships to Selma after a more than 20-year absence.

Day one — a day of preliminary events and some finals — of the AHSAA Class 1A, 2A and 3A state track and field championships took place Friday at Shug Jordan Track and Field at Memorial Stadium.

Elton Reece, Selma Parks and Recreation director, said day one attracted a big crowd that included 150 schools and 1,700 athletes.

“We probably sold close to 2,000 tickets, and you put 1,700 athletes, 500 coaches with that, it’s about 5,000 people here today,” Reece said. “The governor even flew over in his helicopter to look at it on his way to Demopolis. It was a big crowd and it’s good for the city.”

Reece said the event got off to a very early start at 8 a.m. and things started running smoothly two hours in.

“It started off early this morning. Typically, like any other athletic event, you have to get used to the parents coming in, the coaches, and all the administrative type problems you have like people getting used to what they can do and what they can’t do,” Reece said, “but after about ten o’clock it pretty well smoothed itself out.”

Reece said the events proceeded on time, and he’s looking to improve on a few things going into championship day on Saturday at 5 p.m.

“The organization and trying to control the crowd bringing in coolers and those kinds of things,” Reece said. “We’ll try to do that a little bit better and watch that a little bit closer.”

Visitors from out of town were pleased with how day one went.

“It’s been a real good experience today,” said Mose Jones, head track and field coach of A.L. Johnson High School in Thomaston. “I think the city of Selma along with Selma High have done a good job of putting it on. Myself and my kids are really enjoying it.”

Joe Carpenter, head girls track and field coach for Cedar Bluff High School in Cedar Bluff, said he knows that hosting an event for the first time can be tough, and Selma has handled it well.

“I think they’ve attempted to do the best job they can. I mean, when someone’s doing something like this for the first time, there’s a lot of kinks that have got to be worked out that people don’t see, but I think it’s went well,” Carpenter said. “The crew, the officials and Ms. (Mary) Birdwell (AHSAA North Central District track and field director) have done an excellent job. I haven’t seen any problems with it so far.”

Charles Tiller, head track and field coach of American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa, said the event was a good first experience with Selma for his team.

“I think our kids are enjoying today. This is the first time that we’ve run down in Selma before,” Tiller said. “Things seem to be going on smoothly, we’re having a good time, the kids are running well, they’re running some good marks and times they haven’t run before. We’re having a good time down here.”