I think you’ll be surprised just how hard it is for your son to get into Wisconsin and on the rowing team. Both very top level. Kansas and K State also tough admits and tough to make the team.
If his rowing stats put him in the elite group (I don’t know what he needs) then I’d certainly try to use them in get into a higher ranked school, as that seems important to you. If his rowing isn’t going to get him in, then if he wants to row he’s got to drop his expectations because I don’t think the stats you posted are screaming ‘top tier engineering school’.
My daughter could have used her sport to get into a higher ranked school, but she didn’t want that for two reasons. First, she didn’t want to be a bench player at a D1 school where they have 40-45 on the team and only 12 on the field (and the scholarship would have been lower too). Second, she didn’t want the pressure of a big engineering school where she got in on her athletic ability but her academics were a step below most of the others (she had good grades and scores, just not 4.0/33 ACT). She likes being one of the better players at a smaller school, and loves the academic fit. I think she could have done fine at a top engineering school like MIT or GaTech, but she didn’t want the pressure.