Baldwin Wallace University

Berea, OH 44017

Ohio Midwest

Private Small Developing team

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Coaches

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Jim Wojtkun

Jim Wojtkun enters his sixth season as the head women’s soccer coach at Baldwin Wallace University in 2022. In his five seasons at the helm, the Yellow Jackets have won 48 games and have qualified for the OAC Tournament each year. Wojtkun’s focus is in developing the total student- athlete while still creating a challenging and championship focused environment.

Wojtkun at Baldwin Wallace

.551 winning percentage in his first 5 seasons

First full-time women’s coach in program history, replaced men’s soccer head coach Reid Ayers who had responsibility for both men’s and women’s programs for 15 seasons

Ranked regionally in each of first three season.

US Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award recipients each season

Wojtkun Accomplishments

Recruited the programs first All-American and Academic All-American

Recruited the programs first player to be both an All-American and Academic All-American concurrently

Consistently leads the Ohio Athletic Conference in Academic All-OAC selections

Combined team GPA of 3.65 in the Spring Semester of 2020

Professional Background

Olympic Development, Club and Community Coach for more than 30 years

US Soccer Federation and the US Soccer Coaches Professionally Licensed

Quick Hands Goalkeeping Academy Coach

Former Regional Director of GK1 Goalkeeping Academy

2003 Ohio High School Association Division II State Championship Assistant Coach at Bay Village High School

State and Regional Championship Head Club Coach

Personal

Four-year letter winner at the University of Dayton

Bachelor of Arts in communication from University of Dayton

Master of Business Administration from Xavier University

Cleveland native

St. Edward High School graduate

Resides in North Olmsted with his wife Sue

Daughter, Allison '08, was a three-time All-OAC selection and an Academic All-American

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Lexi Manoa

Lexi Manoa begins her first season as an assistant women’s soccer coach at Baldwin Wallace University in 2021-22.

Manoa is currently the head soccer coach at Cleveland Force SC in nearby Rocky River, she is also a personal fitness trainer at BetterBody Warehouse and a Brand Specialist at Amazon.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management and Communications from Notre Dame College. Manoa also received a master’s degree is Higher Education from Nicholls State University.

She resides in Strongsville.

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Reid Ayers

Reid Ayers enters his 20th season as the Head Men's Soccer Coach at Baldwin Wallace University in 2021. The 2-time Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Hall of Famer has won more than 300 games and is the most successful coach in the 51 year history of men’s soccer at Baldwin Wallace. Ayers goals are for each player to maximize their potential in a challenging, competitive learning environment insuring not only success during their time at BW but establishing habits that they will carry into their everyday lives once their college career is over.

Ayers at Baldwin Wallace

BW's first full-time head soccer coach directed both the men’s and women’s teams from 2002-2017 before working exclusively with the men’s program. He holds school records for career and seasonal wins for both the men’s and women’s programs.

Led his team to its first-ever NCAA Division III National Tournament appearance.

Team has been regionally ranked 14 of Ayers 18 seasons and achieved it’s program’s best national ranking of No. 7.

His team has been recognized for Academic Achievement by the United Soccer Coaches / NSCAA 16 of the last 18 years.

Under Ayers’ Guidance

Has produced a United Soccer Coaches All-American and 17 times Yellow Jackets have been recognized as All-Region honorees by the United Soccer Coaches / NSCAA in addition to 8 OAC Positional Players of the Year

Under his mentorship, 8 times BW players achieved Academic All-American status including the program’s second Co-SIDA / Google Cloud Student-Athlete of the Year in 2019.

Three times Yellow Jacket Soccer players won the OAC Clyde Lamb Award for outstanding academic / athletic achievement.

Professional Highlights

Earned Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association’s Honor Award and induction the their Hall of Fame in 2019.

In 2017 received Ohio’s Director of Coaching Award recognizing “exceptional contributions to the growth and development of the game and who serve to inspire us by example”.

Worked with US Soccer assisting in selecting players for inclusion into the country’s youth national teams in addition to serving as an age group coach for the Midwest Region Olympic Development Program.

Served as a Professional Match Evaluator for Major League Soccer

Member of the US Soccer Coaching Education Instructional Staff

Holds United States Soccer Federation National “A” and National “Youth” License in addition to a Premier Diploma from the NSCAA

Serves as the Regional Chair on the United Soccer Coaches All-American Committee in addition to the Executive Board of the OCSA

As a Player

Ayers was a 3-time All-Presidents Conference performer, in addition to being named the team’s Most Valuable Player as a senior while serving as team captain his junior and senior seasons

Hold the distinction of starting every game in his college career

Hometown Roots

A native of Bay Village, Ohio, he was a prep standout for one of the state’s top soccer programs

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Nick Taljan

Nick Taljan begins his second season as an assistant men's soccer coach at Baldwin Wallace University in 2021-22.

Taljan is currently the head soccer coach at Lake Ridge Academy in nearby North Ridgeville and a staff coach at Cleveland Force Soccer Club. He currenly receiving his United States Soccer D License.

Taljan earned a Bachelor of Science in political science from Cleveland State University. He attended St. Ignatius High School and was a member the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I State Champions in 2010 and 2011.

Taljan resides in Westlake.