Standing on a sturdy barrel at Old Mill’s stadium, dressed in uniform for a photo shoot, Patriots senior star runner Tsedeke Jakovics glanced to his right and couldn’t keep from smiling.

In twos and threes, his cross country teammates passed while heading to practice, delivering some good-natured ribbing. The smiles erupted into laughter.

Jakovics cherished the banter.

Ever since leaving his native Ethiopia as a 3-year-old toddler and being adopted by a Severna Park couple, he has sought to fit in and discover his passion in a new land.

He found it in running.

“At first I was really bad,” said the 17-year-old, noting the 28-minute 5K time he ran at his first cross country practice as a freshman. “So it was super slow. But it was the community that hooked me. Everyone just really wants to support each other and see you do well. That’s what got me on running and then I saw I could keep getting better, and I actually did.”

Considerably better.

The reasonable personal goals he set in the beginning — simply knocking off a few seconds here and there — added up to monumental strides.

In last year’s indoor track season, he captured the Class 4A state championship in the 800 meters. In the spring outdoor season, he earned first-team All-Metro honors after winning another state crown in the 800, taking second in the 1,600, third in the 3,200, and running on the team’s winning 4×800 relay.

As his dedication to running heightened — he logged an average of 55 miles a week over the summer — Jakovics added to his resume this cross country season at Hereford’s prestigious Bull Run Invitational when he won the boys Elite Division race.

He ran the hilly 3-mile course in 15 minutes, 49.3 seconds — 10 seconds faster than second-place finisher Caleb Tenney of St. Vincent Pallotti. The victory avenged a season-opening loss to Tenney at South River’s Seahawk Invitational.

He walked the course before the race, strategized and executed a sensational run to top the field of 136 competitors. The performance was more proof of how far Jakovics has come.

“Obviously, you can’t accomplish all his stuff without talent. On top of that, he has a work ethic like nobody else,” Old Mill cross country coach Justin Murdock said. “How can I explain it? You just see the fire he brings and everything he does has a purpose. He has the mindset of wanting to be a champion who wants to run at the next level.”

So how did Jakovics’ blossoming running career come to be? A simple directive from his mom, Kim.

An excellent student with a weighted 4.2 GPA, Jakovics came to Old Mill to join its International Baccalaureate diploma program and has Princeton at the top of his college list. Entering his freshman year, Kim, who was a high school teacher and is currently an elementary school principal, insisted he find an after-school activity to stay busy and become involved at his new school.

Anything, she told him, from theatre to music to returning to one of the past sports he played in his youth — soccer, baseball or basketball. And then she threw in a new option: What about cross country?

“The culture of cross country is everybody cheers for everyone through the end,” she said. “I think it was important for Tsedeke to learn how to set his own next achievable goal and work toward it. That’s a personal record, a record for you on this course. You don’t have to be the winner or medal. But everybody really celebrates individual improvement, and I think that inspires kids to continue in the sport. He just took to that.”

A look at his childhood helps explain the success he has enjoyed in running, a sport that requires determination and discipline.

Jakovics came to the country filled with curiosity and eager to explore. He quickly learned English with help from his mom and dad, Scott. They read him Dr. Suess books and, soon enough, he read them on his own.

He was excited to go to preschool, wanting to be around other kids. There was recess and nap time, his cool Lightning McQueen lunch box and, most importantly, more chances to learn.

“I was always fascinated with things. I always want to know what was happening and why it was happening,” he said. “That’s always been my thinking — even little things.”

The comfort of his roots was nearby. His sister, Tenayie, two years older, also was adopted by the Jakovics. Growing up, the two would speak to each other in their native tongue — Amharic — and giggle, their new parents unaware of what they were saying.

Despite the loving support and a bright, positive disposition toward others, Jakovics said he never completely felt like he fit into a group. That challenge was expressed in his college essay. He recently went on his college visit to Princeton and hopes to get the chance to run there.

His message in the entry goes something like this: “I grew up always facing adversity wherever I went, so I’ve always had to have that thick skin,” he said. “And when it came to running, that sort of transferred over. I already had a strong mindset and I always want to get better.”

Jakovics was always into something during his childhood. He played all those sports and cut grass for neighbors. One day when he was 15, his dad mentioned how cool it would be to make a pizza right now.

His son took it literally. After a Google search to learn how to make a brick oven, he bought the needed stack of old vintage bricks from a neighbor, hauling them off for $50. He found a spot in the backyard, dug a perfect circle and, with help from his dad, built a brick oven that reaches 700 degrees.

Another Google search taught him to make homemade dough, and after some tinkering, he has it down pat. Family pizza night is always a cherished occasion.

“It makes me so happy when something I researched, started from scratch, and put so much time and effort into actually becomes a tangible item we use and enjoy,” he said.

Over the past two years, Jakovics has locked into his running career. In addition to his work with Old Mill, he also has a special group he runs with over the weekends and summer months.

Affectionately called the Goon Squad Track Club and organized by former Arundel and UMBC running star Chris Dyer, the group includes runners from various Anne Arundel County high schools. Dyer looks for runners with potential and dedication. During summer training, college runners join in the mix.

While the talent pool proved intimidating for Jakovics when he first started running entering his sophomore year, now he’s inspired and has a better understanding of what it takes to maximize his talent.

Dyer has seen Jakovics begin to unlock his potential once he made running a top priority.

“I would say the biggest thing for Tsedeke is confidence, going from ‘Running may not be my thing’ to ‘I’m actually good at it’ to ‘I should win this race.’ I see the progression,” he said.

Jakovics next big race comes Saturday at the Anne Arundel County championships at Annapolis. He’ll log plenty of miles to get ready.

He welcomes it.

“That’s the beauty of it. There’s days I tell myself I have to do this workout. It doesn’t matter whatever you’re running that day. You have to go in it knowing it’s one day and you’ll get through it,” he said. “But you also have to know that if you skip that one day, it’s putting you back two days.

“For me, it’s also every day I may miss, another runner just gained a day on me. So, for me, the motivation comes within.”

Have a news tip? Contact Glenn Graham at ggraham @baltsun.com, 410-332-6636 and x.com/GlennGrahamSun.