An image captured by freelance photographer Michael Cignoli was voted as Ozarks Sports Zone Photo of the Week for the period ending October 10, 2020, it was announced Friday.

The photo, featuring two Springfield Catholic volleyball players celebrating during an October 6 match against Seneca, was voted the top photo out of nearly 3,000 images that photographers captured for Ozarks Sports Zone at 36 local high school athletic events throughout the week.

It is the first time one of Cignoli’s photos took first place in the contest.

Each week, O-Zone editorial staff analyze the hundreds of photos captured by their network of photographers and select five finalists for Photo of the Week. The nominees are posted in a poll at OzarksSportsZone.com and website visitors vote to decide the winner. Results are announced during the Friday night O-Zone Show, which is broadcast live on the Ozarks CW.

The subject of each winning photo receives a free framed print, courtesy of Freedom Bank.

The contest returned to the O-Zone in September after a more-than-three-year absence, and Cignoli has had six total images chosen as a Photo of the Week finalist in the past five weeks.

“I would like to thank Ozarks Sports Zone for the opportunity to contribute to their award-winning coverage of Southwest Missouri athletics, and the passionate sports fans who voted for my photograph. The O-Zone has assembled a group of incredibly talented photographers who are dedicated to their work and consistently capture amazing images. To have one of my photos chosen as a finalist, let alone win the award, is a tremendous honor.” Michael Cignoli

More than 1,200 ballots were cast in the poll that concluded on October 10. Full poll results, including a breakdown of what percent of visitors voted for each photo, were not announced.