Texas Rowing Duo Misses Out on Olympic Podium

Kate Knifton and Daisy Mazzio-Manson went from NCAA National Champions to Olympians together.

Jul 30, 2024; Vaires-sur-Marne, France; Emily Kallfelz, Kelsey Reelick, Daisy Mazzio-Manson, and Kate Knifton of the Unites States compete in womenís quadruple sculls during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sarah Phipps-USA TODAY Sports / Sarah Phipps-USA TODAY Sports

Kaitlin Knifton and Daisy Mazzio-Manson held the NCAA National Championship trophy with Texas rowing together in 2021. Only three years later, as Texas graduates, the duo elevated their competition and represented the United States in the Olympic Games.

“For the two of them, it wasn’t just ‘Hey, row at Texas, do well, win NCAA and now you’re on the national team,’” Texas Rowing coach Dave O’Neill said to The Daily Texan. “It’s a long, winding road to get to that point.” 

Competing in the rowing Women's Four, the tournament didn't start like the team would've liked. Knifton on stroke and Mazzio-Manson on seat three, along with Princeton alumni Emily Kallfez on bow and Kelsey Reelick on seat two, finished fourth in the first heat of the qualifying stages with a time of 6:49.66 behind China, New Zealand, and leaders Great Britain, having to rely on the repechage to advance to the finals.

The group earned a spot in the finals by winning the repechage with a better time of 6:32.48, beating China and Denmark.

"Before big races like this, I like to think back and remember big races of the past," Mazzio-Manson said to Row2k. "I definitely lean a lot on my college experience and the types of hot races I had in college."

When it came to the finals, the former Longhorns and their teammates fought hard, but it wasn't enough to earn a medal. The United States finished the race in fifth place after being in the sixth and last position for the first half of the competition when it overtook the Chinese boat. The Americans completed the event in 6:34.88, 5.36 seconds behind fourth-placed Romania, 5.8 behind bronze medalists New Zealand and 7.75 behind winners Netherlands.

This was the last event the two Longhorns completed in this edition of the Olympic games.