At the fourth NORBA National Mountain Bike Series stop in Sandpoint, Idaho, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski predicted that he and fiancée Heather Irmiger would eventually stand atop a NORBA podium together. Both had scored podium finishes this season, and simultaneous wins didn’t seem out of the realm of possibility.

But The Subaru-Gary Fisher rider didn’t know that he’d only have to wait three weeks for his forecast to become reality. Horgan-Kobelski and Irmiger both held onto early leads over the 26-mile cross-country course to win their respective cross-country races on Saturday as the NORBA national series came to Brian Head Resort in Utah.

“It’s something we’ve joked about for a while, but I don’t think either of us thought it would happen this soon,” said Irmiger.

For the 26-year Irmiger (Tokyo Joe’s-GoLite), the victory was her first at a NORBA national after almost five years of racing. The Boulder, Colorado, native has twice finished second this year, but victory has eluded her.

Irmiger tends to start quickly and then fade. In Idaho, she led after the first of two laps before Shonny Vanlandingham (Luna) seized the lead on the final lap. She also started strongly two weekends ago in Snowmass, Colorado, only to be derailed by a flat tire.

“Honestly, it’s kind of an amateur tactic to always push it early,” said Irmiger. “It’s always seemed like a natural thing to do. I’m sure one of these days it won’t work for me, but until then I’m sticking with it.”

True to form, Irmiger punched it up the day’s first five-mile climb, much of which was on paved and dirt roads. The effort split the field into echelons, with Irmiger pursued by Vanlandingham and Dara Marks-Marino (Ford).

As the racers entered the single-track, Vanlandingham caught Irmiger, and it appeared a repeat of the Idaho race was in the cards. But Irmiger hung tough, and then attacked midway through the rocky, muddy lap, which topped out at more than 11,000 feet.

Although Vanlandingham narrowed the gap several times, Irmiger stayed away, winning by 43 seconds. Marks-Marino finished third, with Alison Dunlap (Luna) and Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher) rounding out the podium.

“My legs felt a bit flat, but they might have felt that way because she was just going so hard,” said Vanlandingham. “I noticed Heather coming up last year. It’s really exciting to see girls working their ways up. Everybody’s been there.”

At the finish, Irmiger was greeted by Horgan-Kobelski, who had won the men’s race just minutes before. Like his fiancée, Horgan-Kobelski pushed the pace up the climb with only Adam Craig (Giant) and Walker Ferguson (Scott USA) able to follow.

The race would end badly for Ferguson, who was racing in his first NORBA in more than a year; the junior world champ Ferguson crashed hard on a speedy descent and abandoned, possibly with broken ribs.

Up front, meanwhile, Horgan-Kobelski would spend 90 percent of the 90-minute race all by himself, crossing the line nearly three minutes ahead of his closest chaser, Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-VW). Todd Wells (GT-Hyundai), Craig and Seamus McGrath (Haro) rounded out the podium.

“I live at 1300 feet, so this wasn’t supposed to be a great one for me,” said Bishop, who has struggled through a season marked by sickness and disappointment. “But even flatlanders like me can sometimes stay with the altitude guys.”

Absent from the lead group was Geoff Kabush (Maxxis), the leadaer of the cross-country series after winning at Snowmass. Kabush, who had opted to race slicker tires, flatted twice, exchanged wheels in the lone mechanical-assistance pit and limped home in ninth place. The loss dropped him into second place in the series with 957 points. Horgan-Kobelski, who had been in second, now leads with 979 points.

The men’s dual-slalom finale was a joust between two Jareds - Aussie downhill stars Jared Graves (Yeti) and Jared Rando (Giant-Michelin). Graves beat Rando by less than a tenth of a second on the short, technical course.

In the women’s final, Melissa Buhl (KHS) edged Katrina Miller (Jamis) to take her first NORBA national win in five years on the circuit.

Rounding out the day’s competition was the Super-D, won for the fourth time in a row by Mike West (Maverick). Jennifer Whalen (Dendelion) took honors in the women’s race.

NORBA National Mountain Bike Series
Brian Head Resort, UT. August 5-7
Cross-country
Men
1. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, Subaru-Gary Fisher, 1:34:23
2. Jeremiah Bishop, Trek-VW, at 2:43
3. Todd Wells, GT-Hyundai, at 4:15
4. Adam Craig, Giant, at 4:43
5. Seamus McGrath (Can), Haro, at 6:20
6. Roland Green (Can), Kona-Les Gets, at 5:10
7. Chris Sheppard (Can), Haro, at 6:20
8. Peter Wedge (Can), Kona-Les Gets, at 6:21
9. Geoff Kabush (Can), Maxxis, at 6:44
10. Brent Miller (Aus), WTB, at 6:48

Women
1. Heather Irmiger, Tokyo Joe’s-GoLite, 1:55:52
2. Shonny Vanlandingham, Luna, at 0:43
3. Dara Marks-Marino, Ford, at 2:40
4. Alison Dunlap, Luna, at 4:24
5. Willow Koerber, Subaru-Gary Fisher, at 4:26
6. Susan Haywood, Trek-VW, at 4:39
7. Kathy Sherwin, Biogen-Idec, at 7:00
8. Mary McConneloug, Seven-Kenda, at 7:26
9. Kelli Emmett, Ford, at 10:45
10. Katerina Hanusova (CZ), Luna, at 10:56

Dual slalom (unofficial)
Men
1. Jared Graves (Aus), Yeti
2. Jared Rando (Aus), Giant-Michelin

Women
1. Melissa Buhl, KHS2. Katrina Miller (Aus), Jamis
Super-D
Men
1. Mike West, Maverick, 12:21
2. Chris Eatough, Trek-VW, 12:32
3. Ariel Lindsley, Maverick, 12:47
4. Amon Pease, Intense, 13:04
5. Troy Heflin, Recycle, 14:06

Women
1. Jennifer Whalen, Dendelion, 17:18
2. Leana Gerrard, Cannondale, 18:07