North Shore Pack TFCC

Meet the Coaches

Executive Director Jeff Beaumont

Jeff Beaumont grew up in Park Ridge and ran track at Maine South for ITCCCA Hall of Fame coach Bill Drennan.  A three-time IHSA state qualifier, he competed collegiately for Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.  As a Saluki, Jeff competed in both cross country and track and was on the 1994 MVC Cross Country Championship Team. As an adult, he has finished 10 marathons along with an Ironman triathlon.

Jeff is in his 29th year as a counselor at Deerfield High School and has coached the boys and girls cross country teams and the girls track and field team.  In cross country, three of his girls teams have qualified to the IHSA state championship plus an additional five individuals.  On the track, he has coached numerous state qualifiers including state and national champion Erika Odlaug.

On a personal note, Jeff lives in Mount Prospect with his wife and four daughters.  Much of his free time is spent attending their various athletic events from cheer and dance competitions to soccer games and cross country meets.  Additionally, when not cooking or working in the garden, Jeff is a lifelong die-hard Cubs fan and season ticket holder and can be spotted in the bleachers at Wrigley Field.

Sam Brown is a special education teacher at Deerfield High School where she has also coached girls track and field coach from 2009 to 2024, including seven years as head coach. Her focus is on sprints and relays.

A former track and field athlete at Deerfield, Sam was thrilled to return to her alma mater to both teach and coach. She attended college at Butler University, where she competed for one year on the track and field team, specializing in sprinting and jumping.

Sam’s coaching philosophy centers on “growing the game.” She is passionate about teaching athletes the ins and outs of track and field while fostering a love for the sport. She emphasizes creating a supportive community where athletes encourage one another while focusing on their personal goals and striving to reach their best.

In addition to track and field, Sam also coaches field hockey. Her husband, Ryan, is a track and field coach as well, and together with their two children, Harper and Hayden, they spend much of their time on the track.

Lead Coach Sam Brown

Gaby Manzano is a New Trier High School graduate who jumps collegiately for the University of Connecticut. In high school, she was a four-time All-State athlete and a second team All-American. During her senior season, she was ranked number seven nationally in the long jump during the indoor season as well as number one in Illinois during the indoor and outdoor season. Her high school personal bests include 19-7 (long jump), 38-8 (triple jump), and 57.27 (400 meter dash).

Gaby grew up in Valdemorillo in Madrid, Spain before moving to Northfield at the age of nine. Moving at that age was difficult, and she never truly felt a sense of belonging until she started track and field as a freshman in high school. Her most important life lessons have been learned via her participation in the sport.

Beyond her athletic pursuits, Gaby is majoring in chemistry on the pre-med track with hopes of becoming a physician’s assistant. She has also played cello since she was five. She was immersed in the music world throughout her childhood, playing for the Chicago youth symphony orchestra and the music institute of Chicago. She is focused now on bettering herself overall and is excited to make new memories as part of this new club.

Assistant Coach Gaby Manzano

Assistant Coach Colin Meyer

History

Still an avid endurance athlete, it took Coach Beaumont coming to grips with his running mortality for the North Shore Pack to reach fruition. Finisher of 10 marathons plus an Ironman, he was looking for a new challenge.  As he approached 50 years of age, the mileage was taking its toll.  The daily pain led his ever-loving daughters to make fun of him for "walking like an old man."  He decided it was time to hang up the running shoes, but not before one more challenge.  Jeff wanted to celebrate his 50th birthday by running a 50-miler.  It was in training for this - and successfully completing it - that he rediscovered his passion for running.  It occurred to him that this is what he was meant to do and that running brought him more joy than any other activity.

In wanting to share this love of running and cross country and track and field with more than just high schoolers, the idea of a youth running club was born.  If you're a young person in the North Shore area, there are plenty of opportunities to play soccer, or dance, or cheer, etc.  If you want to be a runner or a track and field athlete, the opportunities outside of middle school teams are non-existent.  Until now.  Bringing these opportunities to younger athletes and uniting them within the same club is an exciting endeavor that will reap benefits far greater than a faster mile time.  Running is a universal activity that is good for physical health, mental health, and social health and it is exciting to teach young athletes how to do it safely and correctly.