Just a few days away from the annual Clark County Gymnastics Festival in Pierce County.

OK, technically, it is the state meet. However, with Clark County having such a great time there of late, might as well have a little fun with the name.

For the past two years, the Class 3A state all-around champion has come from Clark County. In 2009, Columbia River won the 3A team title. In fact, that year all six state titles in the 3A competition — four individual events, the all-around, and the team title — went to Clark County. Last year, a 4A athlete won two individual event titles, and Columbia River finished second in the 3A team race.

Don’t look now, but the Chieftains are one of the favorites to go for another team title this Friday night at the Tacoma Dome’s Exhibition Hall.

We’ll be there. Because we have a deep respect for the sport and its athletes, and because Clark County has done so well in the past.

Still, there are some who wish we loved gymnastics even more. We received a passionate, eloquent letter from a reader this past week wondering why we did not send a photographer to the recent 3A district meet. The reader remembered that we used to, and the reader was worried that we were no longer going to cover gymnastics.

Things have changed, but that does not mean we think any less of gymnastics.

The new state basketball format resulted in the league schedules ending one week sooner than in recent seasons. Through no fault of their own, when athletic directors scheduled the 3A gymnastics district meet this year, it conflicted with a basketball game for a league championship. Approximately 1,500 fans were at Camas High School for that basketball game, and we sent a photographer and a reporter — me — to that event.

Paul Danzer did go to the gymnastics meet for a report. Of course, gymnastics meets can last anywhere from roughly two to 13 hours. (Gymnastics parents appreciate that humor.) And by the time the meet ended, Danzer had to rush back to the office to write up the story, which ran in the next day’s paper.

In years past, that district meet was held with still another week to go in the basketball regular season. So we did send a photographer to district gymnastics. This year, we had to make a call. Unfortunately for the high school gymnastics community, readership interest in basketball dwarfs all other winter sports.

But I am proud to say The Columbian is committed to writing at least one feature on every WIAA-sanctioned sport per season, even the so-called smaller sports. Gymnastics had two features this winter. Plus, we published all results from any meet that was reported to us by the coaches.

Of course, I will be in Tacoma for state gymnastics Friday and Saturday — just like I have for most of the past decade.

There are lower-profile sports, in terms of readership interest, but there are no small efforts for the athletes who make it to state. Clark County’s gymnasts work as hard as any athlete in any sport. And, based on the results the past couple of years, one could argue they are the most successful group of athletes from our region.

Sister Act, Part I

The Prairie girls basketball team has been wearing warm-up T-shirts all season with a special message. Something about how finishing second is worse than having to kiss your sister. It’s a takeoff of the old sports cliché that a tie is like having to kiss your sister. For the Falcons, it also is a reminder that they did not like finishing second last year in the district tournament.

No second this year. Prairie improved to 21-0 after topping Camas in the district title game, avenging last year’s loss to the Papermakers.

But I also have to give little shout out to one member of the Papermakers, who had a little fun regarding those T-shirts. After the game, Tatum Schroeder went up into the stands, was reminded that her team finished second, and, yep, you guessed it, she gave kisses to her two younger sisters.

By the way, for Camas to finish second was a pretty big deal. The Papermakers lost two college-bound players to injuries this season, finished in a tie for third place in the league, then had to win three games last week to advance to the district finals.

Sister Act, Part II

Cool moment during that girls final. Ashley Corral got to the gym midway through the first quarter, in time to watch most of her younger sister’s game. Heather Corral ended up with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, plus had four steals and two blocked shots. After the game, Heather rushed over to give Ashley a hug.

It was the first time Ashley has seen Heather play in a high school game. Tough to commute from Los Angeles, after all. Ashley Corral is a junior point guard for USC.

On Saturday, though, Ashley was in Eugene. She had 16 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in USC’s victory over the Ducks, then got permission to travel to Vancouver to watch her former high school team excel.

Paul Valencia covers high school sports for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4557 or e-mail at paul.valencia@columbian.com.

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