Michelle Chenowith, a 1983 Yosemite High graduate and a 19-year Yosemite math teacher/coach, has been named the school's new athletic director.

Chenowith takes over the position after Tammy Thacker stepped down from the AD job in October after six years.

Thacker remains on the teaching staff and still serves as the school's activity director.

Chenowith, a graduate of California State University, Fresno, started her teaching career at Laton High School where she also served as the varsity volleyball coach. While in college, she was an assistant girls volleyball coach at Yosemite under then varsity head coach Marian Battles.

She came to Yosemite in 1994 to teach math and became the varsity volleyball head coach. Over the next eight years, her teams won outright or tied for the North Sequoia League or Central Sequoia League title five times. Her Badger teams won CIF Central Section Division III Championships in 1997, 2000 and 2001.

She was named league coach of the year seven times.

Chenowith took eight years off from coaching and returned to assist varsity volleyball head coach Sonja Mazaira in 2011, a year the Badgers were again co-champs of the North Sequoia League.

"I'm looking forward to my new athletic director position and the challenges that come with it," Chenowith said.

Chenowith has been married to her husband Kim for 26 years and the couple have two children, Rachele, 18, and Kaleb, 10.