A new opportunity: Ukraine native enjoying time on Hiland High basketball team

BERLIN ‒ Hundreds of high school athletes across the state enjoyed the thrills of playing in the girls state basketball tournament in Dayton over the weekend.

Solomia Tkachuk of Hiland High School was grateful for the opportunity, one that would have be difficult to foresee a year ago.

Tkachuk and her family, parents Ivan and Tatyana, and her younger brothers Roman and Zlata, immigrated to America from war-torn Ukraine last summer thanks to the efforts of her cousins, the Pacula family, owners of Winesburg Meats.

"I'm anxious. I'm so excited," Tkachuk said after Hiland defeated Portsmouth Notre Dame to earn another berth in the state tournament in Pickerington. "My teammates have been great."

Hiland's season ended Thursday with a 51-34 loss to Tri-Village in the Div. IV state semifinals.

Tkachuk played the sport back in Rivne, Ukraine, but it was much different than what she is experiencing at Hiland.

She is enjoying the opportunity to be part of one of the most storied basketball programs in the state. Hiland is among the winningest teams in Ohio girls basketball history with 944 victories heading into this year's state tournament. The Hawks have captured six state championships while making 19 trips to state.

The sophomore Tkachuk is learning new things as she adapts to life in rural America.

Welcoming teammates at Hiland High

"She came from a tough situation over in Ukraine, and wanted to be part of a team when she got here," Hiland coach Brady Schlabach said. "We welcomed her with open arms. We love having her in practice. She's a great kid, and we really enjoy having her around."

Her teammates have been welcoming, helping ease the transition. Senior Kate Kaufman said this a great experience, one to soak in and savor.

"This is our first time experiencing this, so I just tell her to take it all in and enjoy it," Kaufman said before the trip to Columbus. "It's an exciting time."

While she has not seen much game action, she has been benefitting from being part of the team and going through the drills.

"As a new kid coming into a new place, especially with a heavy language barrier, it can be tough," Schlabach said. "But she has picked up the language quickly and is helping with other Ukrainian kids in the district."

A good student who helps others

Hiland Principal Tyler Renner said Tkachuk has adapted well to her new environment and is making the most of it.

"In her situation and all she's been through, to be able to come to school every day and focus on what she's doing in the classroom, and also being involved in extracurriculars likes choir and basketball, it's been fun to see her come along throughout the year," Renner said.

The principal praised Tkachuk for helping another student make a similar transition.

"We gained another student from Ukraine halfway through the year this year, and she has helped him adjust, with some translation things here and there, especially when he first arrived," Renner said. "I think having that familiarity of somebody who speaks the same language and can communicate with you was very important there. She was able to step up and help in that situation.

"Coming from where she came from, I think it's a pretty cool thing," Renner said. "It's especially rewarding to see her have some success, being a part of that team and being accepted as part of that group of girls. They have totally embraced her and made her feel like she is part of the team."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Ukraine native Solomia Tkachuk enjoys time on Hiland basketball team