Seth Slavin is a perfectionist.

As a runner, the Pleasant Valley junior spends countless hours training, regardless of the environment or conditions, in order to be prepared for his next challenge.As a student, Slavin is no less devoted, toiling away for hours on end to help himself and, most importantly, those around him in any way he can.That dedication, both on and off the course, has helped mold Slavin into the person he is today. It has also helped to propel him to the front of the pack as the 2015 Times News Male Cross County Athlete of the Year."Seth is such a hardworking young man. He's a good student, a good athlete and a great motivator on the team," Pleasant Valley head cross country coach George Fair said. "He's an outstanding captain for our team."Having experienced great success since his freshman campaign, Slavin has no trouble leading by example.Slavin enjoyed his best season yet this past fall, placing second in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (16:22) and District 11 Class AAA (16:19) races held at Bethlehem Municipal's Executive Course en route to his third straight trip to the PIAA Cross Country Championships in Hershey, where he took 29th with a time of 16:23.All of those results saw Slavin improve both his position and time from 2014.While that shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering Slavin's unwavering work ethic and desire to win, it is made perhaps even more impressive when considering Slavin's limited preparation for the upcoming season.Recovering from a right hip flexor injury that restricted him to workouts in a pool during much of the summer, Slavin admitted he wasn't at full strength when the season began."I did my first workout about a week before the season started," he said. "But it helped me to realize and be thankful for the natural abilities I have."It's not always about preparation. A lot of kids don't work as hard in practice but they are still able to race well. Having that injury helped to keep me on my toes. It made me realize how important running is. It made me appreciate all those long hourlong runs in the cold and all those days spent running in my basement."Regardless of how healthy he is, there is never any question as to how hard Slavin is willing to work to achieve his goals."What impresses me the most about Seth is his willingness to suffer," said Fair. "He could be an average runner. But he can accept going into a race that he's not going to feel good afterward."He doesn't know how to do anything other than his best."It's a decision that's an easy one for Slavin."It all comes down to how you want to feel - good or bad," he said. "And I want to feel fulfilled. The only thing worse than failure is knowing that you didn't try your hardest."And over the course of the past three years, Slavin has cemented himself as one of the area's best with that work ethic.Slavin earned another honor after the state cross country meet this past fall, when he competed in the Foot Locker Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, New York, on Nov. 28. The junior took 23rd in the field of 168 with a time of 16:12.Despite a litany of accolades that have him on the verge of his first state medal, Slavin's focus entering his senior year is more team-based, which should come as no surprise."I want our team to be more unified in order to create a lasting memory we'll never forget," he said. "I want to be a part of the first team in Pleasant Valley history to go to states."I want to give coach Fair that opportunity. That would be a great way to wrap it up."Selfless, until the end.