Running Down the Competition: James Cindrario

That blur running around the Ramapo track has a name: James Cindrario. A four year veteran and a captain of the Ramapo track team, senior Cindrario explains that, as “a very energetic kid” who “loved the feeling of running and competition,” he “took interest in [track] freshman year and never looked back.” Coach Manzo praises Cindrario as “a great example of how hard work pays off, as [Cindrario] stuck to the training with no complaints and seized the opportunities he created for himself then contributed to some incredible race moments.” In the face of his impressive record as a qualifier for PENN Relays, a member of the only boys team in Ramapo history to medal for the 400m relay, a member of the first place team overall at the Big North Conference, a qualifier at the Nike Indoor Nationals in 2023, and the fifth all time 400m hurdler in Ramapo history, Cindrario prides himself on, in his own words, his “grit, perseverance, and determination.”

Yet, despite being one of Ramapo’s star track athletes, Cindrario admits that “There is always a little bit of anxiety at the starting line, but [he’s] learned to create a mindset of confidence and self assurance” in order to push himself forward, past his competitors, and across the finish line. According to senior Emilio Santiago, “James is a naturally talented runner. From freshman year, he was always running with the varsity athletes at practice and showed a lot of promise with almost no previous experience. […] I’ve never known him to skip out on a rep or cut a run short at practice, and he always puts his full effort into every race he runs.” Santiago went on to say that “even aside from [Cindrario’s] achievements as an athlete, he’s always brought such a positive and enthusiastic energy to our team, no matter the conditions. The team is really lucky to have a runner like James.” Cindrario cites “the friends and bond that [he] [has] made with [his] track family,” “the sense of adrenaline from running and the thrill of competition,” and “beating [his] personal records” as his favorite parts of running track. Having attributed much of his success to the endorsement of his parents, Coach Manzo, and Coach Ciccone, Cindrario wishes to “thank them for always giving [him] support and encouraging [him to go] beyond what [he] thought [he] was capable of.”

Outside of Ramapo, Cindrario enjoys running independently and further nurtures his passion for track by nurturing it in others, having, as he says, “volunteered as a counselor at Tornado Track Camp over the summer.”

Cindrario will be attending Fordham University as a business major in Fall 2023. Although he is not planning to run track in college, Cindrario will certainly continue running on his own.

James, we wish you luck in all your future endeavors. Keep running down the competition in all that you do.