Glen Cove's Brooke Simmons, Sachem East's Xiomara Llerena thrilled to play softball on international stage
Glen Cove's Brooke Simmons, left, and Sachem East's Xiomara Llerena. Credit: Anna Connors, Thomas A. Ferrara
Dominating the softball scene on Long Island is plenty fun but the international stage provides even more excitement for Brooke Simmons and Xiomara Llerena.
Simmons, a senior at Glen Cove, is on her way to becoming an Olympian. The lefthanded pitcher received notice in early March that she had been selected to be a member of the Puerto Rican national softball team as it competes in the Olympic trials, hoping to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games.
“Playing with the team has opened up so many opportunities for me,” Simmons said. “I’ve met girls who have played where I’ve only dreamed of, girls who are playing professionally.”
Simmons, whose mother is of Puerto Rican descent, played for the national team for the first time last fall after impressing the Puerto Rican coaches during tryouts. She made five appearances, three of them scoreless, in the WBSC Women’s World Cup.
“I was 16 at the time and I was playing against All-Americans, girls who had already been through college,” Simmons said. “I got through the first inning with no runs scored and thought to myself that I could really do this. The fact that my coaches had the confidence to throw me even though I was just 16, gave me more confidence in myself.”
Simmons' international experience will certainly be a benefit at the collegiate level. She is committed to play at Howard University,
“I knew I wanted to go to an HBCU [Historically Black colleges and universities]. To go somewhere where I didn’t feel like the odd one out,” Simmons said. “I also wanted to go somewhere that would push me, not a place that would let me cruise by.”
A big hit with Team Peru
Llerena, whose parents were both born in Peru, had the opportunity to represent the country this past fall. The Sachem East senior shortstop played with the Peruvian national softball team at the XX Juegos Bolivarianos in Lima, Peru.
“I was nervous. The girls were older than me and I knew just how talented they would be,” Llerena said. “But I was super excited to represent my family and my country.”
Llerena appeared in four games and hit .333. In a match against Bolivia, she had two hits, including an RBI double laced into the left-centerfield gap. She will play at Drew University next season.
“I give credit to my parents for posting [videos of] my training and my games,” Llerena said. “The Peruvian coach reached out to my parents about having me in for a tryout. It went well and I got the call to go play with them.”
Championship pedigrees
Simmons put together a performance for the ages in the county final last season. When Glen Cove catcher Alyssa Weigand tore her ACL at home plate after hitting a home run in a Game 1 loss, Simmons responded by throwing a no-hitter with backup catcher Isabella Damiano in Game 2.
“Alyssa going down was hard, because she was the heart of our lineup,” Simmons said. “What Bella did, I don’t take lightly. She stood behind the plate and never wavered.”
Simmons allowed one run in Game 3 and scored the tying run in the top of the seventh inning. She stranded the tying run in the bottom half of the inning to give Glen Cove its first county title in 40 years.
“Seeing what Brooke does makes me very emotional,” Glen Cove coach Kimberly Del Rosso said. “I saw her as a fourth-grader and now she’s on track to be an Olympian. It’s unbelievable.”
Llerena has provided a strong presence at shortstop since helping Sachem East win its first Long Island championship two years ago. Llerena’s defense was an integral part of the team’s success.
“It felt like I was on top of the world,” Llerena said. “It was the first time that softball at East had won the LIC, so to be part of that was surreal.”
Her offense continued to reach new heights, as she hit .491 last season and earned All-County honors. Now, as a team captain, the leadership skills she has displayed in her five years at the varsity level have been rewarded.
“When I heard she would play with the Peruvian team, I thought it was incredible, but I wasn’t surprised. I was just happy because she deserves the recognition,” Sachem East coach Amanda Delaney said. “She’s a leader and someone our team has always been able to rely on. Win or lose, they know they can look to her for guidance.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
