07-02-2025
Extra Effort: Canton's Ella Demler excels on and off basketball floor
CANTON, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — She wanted to make an impact in high school.
So Ella Demler set out to get involved when she first came to Canton High School.
'I wanted to stay active,' said Demler. 'I needed to be doing stuff all the time.'
The 5-foot-9 point guard is a standout on the basketball floor and has signed to play at Lincoln Land Community College. This season she scored her 1,000th career point and became Canton's all-time assists leader.
She also plays soccer and golf at Canton, where she is a straight A student. The National Honor Society member is taking college credit courses.
Demler is a class officer and part of the invitation-only Youth Leadership Academy, where she gets an inside look at the medical field alongside professionals.
'Senior year we get to job shadow,' said Demler who would like to pursue a career in the medical field. 'I've gone into surgeries, scrub in and go into operating rooms. Multiple surgeries. I almost passed out.'
Demler says she has seen a gallbladder being removed and witnessed a colonoscopy.
'You can tell she's a multi-tasker,' said Canton girls basketball coach Maribeth Dura. None of those additional duties, cause her stress. She can manage.'
And she's active with Canton's Unified PE program where she's paired with students with special needs. Demler was a part of Canton's team that participated in the 400-student Mid-Illini Unified PE Field Day at Dunlap this fall.
'I love Unified PE. I talk to (the students) and tell them I play basketball. I ask 'Do you play basketball?' Everyone is different,' said Demler. 'They are hilarious and awesome to be around. Always make me laugh. It makes everyone around them happy. It makes everything positive. I love seeing them succeed.'
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