Walsh tied for second at 7-under 209 on rounds of 73-66-70, two strokes behind Sambach who built a six-stroke cushion for herself after opening with rounds of 65-68. Walsh's 54-hole score of 209 is the lowest 54-hole of her collegiate career and two strokes better than her previous best of 211.
After struggling over the first two rounds of the tournament, Chacarra, who won twice as a freshman last season, shot a final round 70 (-2) to aid Wake's comeback. The Demon Deacons also counted Rachel Kuehn's 70 (-1) and Emilia Migliaccio's 74 (+2) towards its 3-under total of 285.
"It's great to win the first event of the year and we always enjoy coming up to Lake Elmo to start our season against a very competitive field," said Wake Forest head coach Kim Lewellen. "We were proud of the way the team handled a little adversity after the first round and really played together. We have a lot of talent and a really deep lineup. They all work tremendously hard day in and day out, so it's nice to see their hard work pay off and start the season on a positive note."
Wake Forest did receive a little help, however. After starting the day with a six-shot lead, Virginia stumbled to a final round 296 (+8) and was overtaken by Wake Forest and Texas, which finished second at 2-under 862.
All was not lost for the Hoos, however, as Sambach claimed medalist honors at 9-under 207 (65-68-74), which left her two strokes clear of Texas' Bohyun Park and Walsh. The sophomore set a torrid early pace, shooting 11-under on rounds of 65 and 68, which allowed her to absorb a final round 74 (+2) to win her second collegiate individual title in a field that included 11 of the 25 players on the ANNIKA Award Preseason Watch List.